


Meet Me In the Aftermath

by jolybird



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Character Death, F/F, Immortality, M/M, Sisters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 09:52:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 30,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11964948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jolybird/pseuds/jolybird
Summary: Merlin had known, from the moment he started remembering things that happened lifetimes ago, that if he ever saw Arthur again, it would mean that the world was ending.However, that didn't stop him from praying that every blond he saw was his King risen again. After all, the apocalypse was a small price to pay for finally having Arthur back.





	Meet Me In the Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [After Camlann 2017](http://aftercamlann.livejournal.com/)!
> 
> I wish I could properly convey what a wild ride this fic has been. It's been my constant through a couple /crazy/ months and I think I'm going to miss working on it haha. I'm actually a little bit late in posting because of bachelorette party planning shenanigans because of course it would end in vodka and sugar cookies. 
> 
> As always huge shoutout to my beta Britt, a gigantic thank you to the mods who are actually superheros for organizing this big bang and putting up with my bullshit (I think I was a little bit late in e v e r y stage this year), and I was so so lucky to work with the fantastic [ThousandSunFury/theonekierce](http://archiveofourown.org/users/thousandsunfury) & be sure to check out their [art post](theonekierce.tumblr.com/tagged/merlin)! 
> 
> (Just a quick warning--there's a hit and run car accident in this fic.)

“What are you doing?”

“It’s wrong--it’s--too much--we spent so much time trying to fix it but it’s _you_. You’re the problem.”  
  
“Enid--what?” His voice was frail, his limbs shook. He was tired, so tired. Words washed over him. He taught her this. She had lit up at butterflies, her magic dancing in the morning fog. Now her words grew sprinters in his veins, filled his lungs with oak.  
  
He was tired but he had to fight back--he had to wait, to keep waiting, always waiting.  
  
But he was tired and her voice was strong.

 

* * *

 

The story began with a king desperate for a son. It began with the birth of a king, a death of a queen. It began with an escape to safety, it began with running towards danger to be safe. It began a hundred times with each decision that was made: tell him, don't tell her, keep the magic secret. It began with the death of a king, an unraveling grief. It began with each breath, fight, heartbreaking inability to die. It began with giving up, it began with magic coddling and cradling. It began with falling asleep an old man and waking up an infant.  
  
This time it began with:  
  
“Another round!”  
  
The pub cheered, eyes on the golden haired man propped up on the bar, a king for the night. The bartender handed out pints and he took his and slung his arm around the woman at his side.  
  
“It’s only the end of Uni.” she smiled, taking a sip of her cider. He rolled his eyes and tipped his glass back.  
  
“My favorite girl is back in London and my sister will finally stop harping on about her girlfriend being out of town, what’s not to celebrate?”  
  
She rolled her eyes but asked, “what do you mean, harping on?”  
  
“She would sigh all the time and ask if I’ve heard from you and she was always on Facebook looking at your pictures. It’s sad really. I’m looking forward to not hearing _have you heard from Gwen_ every fifteen minutes.”  
  
Gwen laughed and hit him in the chest lightly, “Oh stop. You’re exaggerating.”  
  
“I’m really not.” He promised, a hand up as if he were going to swear an oath right then and there.  
  
“You’re ridiculous.” She smiled and then pulled out her phone to text her girlfriend.  
  
“Tell her I send my love.” He said, leaning close and Gwen rolled her eyes and playfully shoved his face away.  
  
Gwen ignored him as he spun away and was promptly swept up by a slender blond woman who scrunched her nose up at the sight of him, “How much have you had to drink tonight?”  
  
“Enough.” Gwen called the same time Arthur said, “Not Enough.”  
  
She rolled her eyes, “I’m leaving. Got to get the little ones to bed.” She nodded back to her table where Perce, who was ninety percent muscle, and Connie, who had once successfully squatted Arthur, sat half sprawled out on their booth.  
  
“Night, Anna.” Gwen didn’t look up from her phone and the two blonds shared a glance.  
  
“Night, Gwen, please make sure my brother sleeps in a bed tonight.”  
  
She smiled, putting her phone down, “Of course.”  
  
Anna stood on her toes, kissed her brother’s cheek and then headed back over to Perce and Connie. Gwen put her phone into her pocket, “Come on, I think I remember you promising to dance with me.”  
  
“I did no such thing.” Despite the protest, however, he took hand and allowed her to drag him to the dance floor where she immediately threw her hands into the air. They danced until the songs blended together and the alcohol started to give way to a hangover.  
  
“Alright, Forbes’ 100 Under 25, bar’s closing let’s get home.” a voice came from their left and both of them flinched.  
  
“Gwaine--where the hell have you been?”  
  
“Don’t worry about it mate.”  
  
Gwen peaked around Arthur to look at him with narrowed eyes, “Did you lose my brother?”  
  
Gwaine turned around and looked behind him but Elyan was nowhere in sight.  
  
“And Kay, where the hell’s she?”  
  
“I'm not their fucking minder.” Gwaine grumbled but then the two appeared from the crowd behind them, walking fast, trying to hide laughter.  
  
“Do we have to leave?” Arthur asked, his voice almost a groan.  
  
“Yes.” They said immediately and Kay linked arms with Gwaine and pulled him from the building.  
  
As soon as they got outside, he grabbed her around the waist and picked her up, heaving as if she weighed a ton.  
  
“Arthur!” Gwen laughed, “put me down!”  
  
Arthur only spun her around and the pair tripped into Gwaine and Elyan who caught them.  
  
Kay rolled her eyes, “Careful. I don’t want to spend the rest of my night in the A  & E.”  
  
“You might have to so you can deal with whatever you caught when you were doing whatever with Elyan and Gwaine.”  
  
She scrunched up her face and stepped out of the way as he put Gwen down and she found her footing, “That’s disgusting. You’re disgusting, Arthur.”  
  
He laughed, a little bewildered, and glanced back to her. Unfortunately for him, it was the same moment they got to the curb and so he slipped off the edge, completely lost his footing and landed right on his ass in the street.  
  
“Mate.” Gwaine said flatly, covering his eyes with his hand like just the sight of him was too much.  
  
Kay and Elyan laughed loudly and Gwen, the traitor, giggled as she helped him stand. “You alright?”  
  
“He’s got padding there, he’s fine.” Kay said, glancing back as she headed into the station.  
  
“Tell me again why we’re going to Oxford?”

"We're going to Oxford?" Gwen asked with a frown.

Elyan ignored her, “It’s going to be a riot and Leon’s gonna be pissed.”  
  
“ _We’re_ pissed.”  
  
“Did you just call my ass fat?”  
  
Elyan squinted at the clock and then grabbed Kay and Gawain, “hurry or we’re going to miss it.”  
  
They raced through the station, Gwen practically dragging Arthur behind him as he bought their tickets on his phone. Elyan and Gwaine dove into the train with frightening desperation, leaving Kay, Gwen and Arthur to try to pretend they didn’t know them.  
  
They collapsed into the seats nearest the door, they had the compartment to themselves it looked like and Gwaine immediately pulled out something wrapped in napkins.  
  
“Mate.” Kay whispered, pulling a thoroughly disgusted face, “tell me that’s not the leftover chips from dinner.”  
  
“Nope.” He said, proud of himself as he unwrapped the napkins, “it’s the fish.”  
  
She pretended to gag, “you’re going to get sick.”  
  
“Nope.” He said again, enjoying his room temperature, limpy breaded fish.  
  
Arthur leaned heavily on Gwen who still giggled over his tumble. He looked around the empty train car, out the window--they were at a station but the train didn't stop.  
  
Suddenly the word does though--it comes to a halting stop.  
  
Arthur makes eye contact with a man on the platform. For a moment it’s awkward, then his eyes widen in recognition and Gwaine protested that Arthur was crushing him.  
  
“Merlin--” Arthur gasped, a hand on the window, and then he was gone.  
  
“Arthur…” Gwen said quietly, no longer giggling. “Are you feeling alright?”  
  
He turned, Guinevere's hair was short, her left ear was pierced with several gold rings, “No.” He meant it in more ways than one.

 

* * *

 

* * *

  
“This isn’t healthy, Merlin.” Freya sighed as she handed him a bowl of popcorn. They had a movie queued even thought they knew they’d never be able to focus on it.  
  
“I swear that was Arthur on the train.” He had been saying the say thing for days already but, Christ, he swore that had been Arthur on the Train.  
  
“You’ve been saying that for years. You always think you see him and, Merlin, it’s been--what-- fifteen hundred years?” Ganieda sighed, her feet propped up on her brother’s lap.  
  
“You do realize how crazy that sounds.” Will piped up from the kitchen and everyone ignored him. They had been living with this knowledge for too many years to second guess themselves now.  
  
“Yes but--I knew all of you except for Ganieda in Camelot. That’s never happened before. It has to mean something. And I know for sure that was Arthur.”  
  
“I can check Facebook again but there’s no one by the name Arthur Pendragon. At least, not anyone real.” Will twisted around to look at him and Merlin sent him a smile. Will had remembered first when they were kids. He remembered farming and outrunning neighbors, stealing snacks and an overwhelming fear of Merlin’s magic being found out.  
  
This was the 21st century and decidedly not Uther Pendragon’s Camelot but still, when Will had been eleven and Merlin had been nine, he made him promise to never let anyone know he had magic.  
  
It vexed their parents to no end, magic was common, there were after school programs that focused on teaching kids have to control their magic and Merlin screamed and refused to go, once going as far as blowing up his front door, but it made the panic attacks less frequent when Merlin’s memories started to creep back to him.  
  
Next to him, his sister dragged him from his thoughts by poking him evenly in the shoulder. “Arthur returning means the end of the world. Are you really so desperate for it?”  
  
Merlin knew his sister meant no harm in her words, he had said the same thousands of times before.  
  
But this was different, he could feel it thrumming through his veins.  
  
Arthur was back. He just had to find him.  
  
*  
“Why do you love Twyford so much recently?” Morgana asked as she sank down into a chair across from her brother. “Are you trying to track down some one night stand or something?”  
  
“Or something.”  
  
Morgana laughed, “Arthur!”  
  
Arthur didn't dignify that with a response and Morgana just looked out the window. “You’re paying for lunch and however many coffees I want so we can look all over for your or something.”  
  
Arthur couldn't remember Morgana in Camelot except her kicking his ass during training. He knew he wouldn't like it when he did finally remember but for now she was just Morgana his sister and no bizarre past life could change that.  
  
No matter what he remembered, Camelot didn’t matter. Not when it came to this life. He wouldn’t let it change things.  
  
How insane did he sound? How insane was he being? Chasing after someone he saw on a train platform because they awoke memories of his past life as a king. He should really check himself in for observation. Maybe he was sick? Maybe whatever was going on with the environment was messing with him. Maybe there was something that was causing mass hallucinations.  
  
“Wow, so I guess you’re really intent on seeing him if you haven’t heard a single word I said the past five minutes.”  
  
Arthur didn’t dignify that with a response either, “After this I saw a bookstore we could stop in.”  
  
“Should I have Perce draw up a sketch.”  
  
“Don’t tease.”  
  
“I actually wasn’t.”  
  
“Of course we’re not going to plaster his sketch all over the place. We have to appear casual.” Threads of doubt crept over him, what he was doing was insane.  
  
“We’re just casually in Twyford?”  
  
“Yeah.” Arthur pushed the feeling down.  
  
“Okay. Casual.” She looked anything but.  
  
“How’s Gwen?”  
  
“Already knee deep in her new position. They put her in charge of the intern.” The intern being Mordred who Arthur was pretty sure hadn't been in Camelot with them. He couldn't remember anything about him. That was a good sign.  
  
“She’s been back a couple weeks.”  
  
“She’s doing field testing, it’s the best place for the pair of them to learn. There’s a spike of phosphorus but no one knows what it means.”  
  
“Hopefully they find out what’s going on before anything serious can happen.”  
  
“I’m not in the mood for that kind of trouble.”  
  
Arthur laughed, “I’m sure nature will take your feelings into account.”  
  
A flash of red caught his eye and he glanced to the sidewalk outside quickly to try to place it.  
  
“Damn,” Morgana whispered under her breath, “he must have been some lay.”  
  
Arthur ignored his thoughts (he didn’t know if he actually _knew_ that or not and he didn’t know where he stood on it yet. That would certainly complicate things). He sent his sister an unamused glance and sipped his coffee, watching as not-Merlin-just-someone-wearing-a-scarf-that-was-the-same-color-Melrin-used-to-wear (why the hell did he remember _that_ when there were other more important gaps in his memory) trailed away down the street.  
  


* * *

  
Merlin looked up from his book and glared as his friend walked into the flat, “I was looking for that scarf.”  
  
Will shrugged and tossed the scarf towards his face. Merlin caught it at the last second, “Do you want some coffee? I was thinking about going to the cafe and getting something.”  
  
“I just passed it. I would have gotten something on the way home.”  
  
“Do you want to go back?”  
  
Will weighed his options and then nodded, “why not.”  
  
Merlin wrapped the scarf around his neck and then paused, “actually, didn’t ‘neida just buy something?”  
  
“Oh shit yeah, that fancy Italian shit.”  
  
Merlin took the scarf back off and tossed it on the couch.  
  
“We could go anyway to see if your prince is darkening a local doorway.”  
  
Merlin rolled his eyes, “Arthur has no reason to be here.”  
  
“What reason do you?” Will countered and Merlin glared. He and Will spent an ungodly amount of time at their friends' place. They were out nearly every weekend (even more so since Merlin had seen Arthur on the way home although he denied that’s why he was such a frequent guest).  
  
“Careful or I’ll make you hang out in Holborn again.”  
  
“He is not a lawyer.”  
  
“Our families have about the same standing in society, why shouldn’t his?”  
  
“Because there’s no UtherCorp looming over London.” Will pointed out but that only made Merlin doubt it.  
  
“Maybe there is and we just haven’t found it yet. Let’s check all the big businesses tonight. They all should have employee pages.”  
  
“How about I just make that dating profile finally.”  
  
“Absolute not after last time.”  
  
“We learned our lesson.”  
  
“Have we?”  
  
Will paused, thought it over and then he went to hop onto the counter. He missed and then tried to play it off like he always meant to just lean against it. “Well, probably not”  
  
“Let’s just have coffee and not dwell on the past.”  
  
“Like if you were shagging the king or not.”  
  
“Why are you always like this?” Merlin groaned loudly and the front door opened again and Freya started muttering about taking back their keys.  
  
“Mate, you’re blushing.”

 

* * *

 

  
Gwen crossed her arms and looked out over the field. It was the beginning of summer but it looked more like fall. There hadn’t been any rain in weeks and the grass was stretched yellow as far as she could see.  
  
And it wasn’t only the rain, there were parasites or a disease making it’s way through the trees and crop and no one could pinpoint what exactly it was. She had been tasked with gathering soil samples which had turned years of being told to stop playing in the dirt into a paycheck, which felt good on several different levels except for the reason she had to do it in the first place.  
  
The plants were dying and no one knew why.  
  
She checked her bag again and then began walking thirty more feet to take another sample.  
  
She didn't have to have magic to know something wasn't right. It hasn't been right for a long time and Gwen was starting to worry they were nearing the tipping point. She tore open the sample bag and went to work.  
  
Mordred was around here somewhere. He was doing magic readings if he could. When Gwen had been a child magic readings were accurate and constant for the most part, now it was anyone’s guess what kind of reading you would get. He was good at judging if they were accurate or not at least.  
  
They both were getting so much over time for this, it was almost like a second job in and of itself.  
  
In her pocket, her phone started to ring and Gwen finished up labeling her sample before she answered it.  
  
“Is everything alright?” she asked her girlfriend quickly, she was so worried about everything these days. She and her parents checked in on each other constantly and she was always on social media, always making sure her friends were updating regularly.  
  
“Yes, I just wanted to let you know I’m taking Arthur out for dinner. We found a cute restaurant last time we were here.”  
  
“You’re in Twyford again?” Gwen sighed, “is he alright?”  
  
“He’s being weird.”  
  
“He’s always a bit weird--is he okay?”  
  
“Yes? I’m not worried yet we’ll keep an eye o him, just in case. He’s looking for someone. Like a one night stand or something.”  
  
“Really?” Gwen asked, unable to sound anything but incredulous.  
  
“I know. How’s it going?”  
  
“It’s not.” Gwen looked around, she could see Mordred heading back towards her from across the field. “There’s the indication of some sort of--almost pattern but we can’t actually figure out anything other than it looks like there might be some sort of pattern.  
  
“So it’s still a blast?”  
  
“You haven’t happened to have had one of your dreams have you?”  
  
Morgana laughed, “please. As if they’d ever be helpful.”  
  
Gwen put the phone to her ear and went to take another sample as Mordred reached her. He was only interning with them but it was paid and it was all hands on deck for now.  
  
“Is that Morgana?” he asked and when Gwen nodded he took the phone from her.  
  
They weren’t in crisis mode yet but it was far from alright.

 

  
After a week, Arthur had himself half convinced he imagined Merlin standing there. Why would someone be there at three in the morning? (Only, there was a train scheduled to stop ten minutes after they had passed through and he could remember the way realization felt as it jolted through his body).  
  
Pre-gaming at a pub on the way to Anna’s party wasn’t high on his list of things to get done today, he had planned on updating his CV and getting a vaguely shameful amount of laundry done but that all went out the window Elyan and Leon literally dragging him from his bed and pushed him into Gwaine’s car.  
  
They dove him to Twyford and got out at the most run down of bars. “Maybe he’s here, mate.”  
  
“Oh sod off.” Arthur had grumbled and flipped them both off.  
  
Now he was two drinks in and his world was ending.  
  
Or starting--  
  
Or--  
  
Something cataclysmic was happening to his world.  
  
Behind him someone was laughing and behind him was the door to the pub had someone had just walked in and they were laughing and--  
  
Arthur turned around slowly, his hand was shaking so badly that his drink was sloshing around in his cup a little and he was getting worried looks from Elyan who was sat next to him.  
  
The laughter stopped abruptly and Arthur all but threw himself over Elyan to stand up.  
  
“Are you alright?” he asked but his voice was far off as he stood next to their booth and just stared at the small group that had just fallen silent at the door.  
  
“Merlin.” Arthur said and a thousand years of self preservation went up in a blaze--literally--the light by Merlin combusted. Merlin didn’t so much as finch, he tore across the room and pulled Arthur into a hug.  
  
They held each other tightly, memories and sounds of a thousand years ago echoed around them. But this--warm skin, shallow breaths, this was more than either of them thought they’d get.  
  
“Eyyyy Arthur wanna introduce us to your friend?” Gwaine called and Merlin’s grip around Arthur tightened.  
  
“Gwaine.” he whispered and Arthur nodded. Merlin was so skinny in his arms, surely it hadn’t been like this before?  
  
They couldn’t bring themselves to let go for another long moment because after they let go it was less about having each other back and more about what they were going to do about it.  
  
Finally, Merlin stepped away. “Sorry--” He laughed, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, “haven’t seen him in a while.”  
  
Leon tilted his head slightly, looking confused, “Who’s this?”  
  
For a heartbeat Arthur froze, the impossibility of Leon not knowing Merlin was the only thing that filled his mind, then he shrugged. “Merlin. I met him when I did the study abroad in France last year, don’t you remember?” Arthur was a shit liar but the slight desperation in his voice prevented anyone from calling him out on it.  
  
“I thought that was Lance?”  
  
“I'm pretty sure there’s more than one person in France.” Arthur said, sounding for all the world like he was lying. Merlin almost burst out laughing, but covered his mouth with his hand and turned away. He caught Arthur’s hand and pulled him over to the table where two girls he had walked in with sat, watching the scene with wide eyes.  
  
“Arthur--I want to introduce you to my friends--Freya and Gilli.”  
  
“Nice to finally meet you, Arthur.” Gilli said, and Freya just gave him a tight lipped smile.  
  
“I--uh--yeah. You too.” he snuck a glance to Merlin but he was just making threatening expressions at the pair of them. Then, once he realized he had been caught he blushed and then nodded towards the door.  
  
“Can we talk?”  
  
“Of course.” Talk to him was all Arthur wanted to do. Arthur pulled Merlin out of the bar to catcalls from Gwaine and Elyan. Arthur and Merlin flipped them off in unison.  
  
At first Merlin didn’t say anything, he just worried his hands and paced back and forth. Arthur leaned against the brick wall to give him time. He almost felt like a child playing pretend: kings and knights and dragons.  
  
Sisters turned witches, swords plunging into chests, servants turned wizards.  
  
Everyone lied.  
  
Morgana wanted the kingdom, Gwen loved Lancelot, Merlin had magic.  
  
“So.” Merlin said sharply, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for lying about my magic, I’m sorry about hiding so much from you, I’m sorry for not being there when Mordred stabbed you, I’m sorry I didn’t let your father kill him when he was a boy.”  
  
“Merlin--” Arthur interrupted, “You don’t have to apologize for that. I--I don't remember Mordred in Camelot at all.”  
  
Once, Arthur could imagine himself wanting apologies for Merlin not saving his life but that didn’t matter. The only Kings now were figureheads and the swords hung rusty in museums or in reenactment groups.  
  
Maybe he could convince the others that he was suddenly really into medieval history. Maybe if he convinced them into chainmail, their memories would be triggered. He was pretty sure Gwaine would be easy after a few drinks.  
  
“I had this all planned out. What I’d say to you when I saw you again but--Arthur, you’re the Once and Future King. When Albion’s need is greatest, you’d rise again. And here you are.”  
  
“Who told you that?”  
  
“The Great Dragon.”  
  
Of course. “I can only remember bits and pieces of--last time but--”  
  
“No, that’s the thing. You see, I’m not like you or the others. I never died.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I never died, Arthur.”  
  
“You’ve been alive for--for all this time?”  
  
“The past five hundred years I was asleep in a tree, it really wasn’t as long as it sounds. Plus--”  
  
“Five hundred years, Merlin. You saw the crusades and the War of the Roses and _pirates_.”

“And I was asleep for both world wars and like all of the revolutions and all of recent history. There’s a new x-box every couple years and a new iphone every Christmas. It doesn’t feel like I was alive that long at all. Plus--when I woke up from being in a tree I was a infant so...I had to grow up into all of this again.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“My parents found me in the woods. They adopted me. I had to grow up into all of this, remember all of this again. It all became too much for me, I lost myself, I was tired I wanted out. I still--this is all still too much. But you’re here. We’re here. We have to figure out how to stop this.”  
  
“What’s this?”  
  
“There’s something wrong with magic. It’s not obvious yet but we’ve been looking into it and--there a patterns--nothing concrete yet but the beginnings of some kind of pattern are there.”  
  
Arthur drew in a deep breath. He couldn’t remember much of being a king of this feeling of weight settling on his shoulders didn’t feel as foreign as it probably should.  
  
The door to the pub opened and Leon walked inside. He looked around for a moment before he spotted them. “Don’t want to interrupt but if we don’t head out soon we’re going to be late for Anna’s party.”  
  
Arthur drew in another breath, held it for a long moment, then released it. He turned to Merlin, “Do you want to come to my sister’s birthday party?”  
  
“Oh--I--” he stammered and Arthur took it as agreement.  
  
“Your friends can come of course, it’s at my parent’s house but they’re in Japan this week on Holiday.”  
  
“You’re a little old to be throwing a party in your parents house, aren’t you?”  
  
“Mate.” Leon said, “You must have never seen the Pendragon Estate.”  
  
“Pendragon Estate.” Merlin repeated in a disbelieving whisper.  
  
“You’ll come? It’s in Bedford so you can stay the night if you like.”  
  
For a moment, Merlin looked like he wanted to say no. Then he shrugged, “Why not.”  
  
“Your sister’s going to kill you.” Leon laughed before ducked back into the pub.  
  
“Uh--should we meet you there?”  
  
“Don’t be an idiot. The six of us will drive up together.”  
  


* * *

 

  
The did end up driving up together after they stopped at Gilli and Merlin’s houses to pick up their things for an overnight trip (Freya managed to round up enough of her things at their houses that they didn’t need to stop). The unplanned stops, however, did make them late and Arthur couldn’t even blame Gwen for the glare she shot them all when they finally pulled into the driveway.  
  
“Arthur Pendragon you’re a half hour late!” Gwen hissed as she stormed out of the house to grab the crisps from the trunk. “Morgana is throwing a fit and a half--Anna’s going to be here soon.”  
  
“Wait,” Merlin whispered, “two sisters?”  
  
“Yeah, Morgana’s our older half sister and Anna’s three years younger than I am. She’s turning nineteen today.”  
  
“Oh, so she’s how old I think I am.”  
  
“You’re a child.”  
  
“I’m literally hundreds of years older than you.”  
  
Arthur laughed and Gwen abruptly stopped shouting at her brother and Gwaine.  
  
“Oh--um--hi.” Gwen said shooting Arthur a warning glance, “I didn’t know he was bringing someone.”  
  
“Sorry, it was sort of last minute.”  
  
“Very last minute.” Freya added before they introduced themselves. Gwen, with bits of ribbon in her hair (almost like someone was seeing how far their luck stretched), smiled at them all,  
  
“Gwen.”  
  
Merlin smiled back, “Merlin.”  
  
“Okay everyone inside, Arthur move your car into the garage, we left you a spot.”  
  
Arthur abandoned Merlin and his friends--Gilli sounded familiar but he couldn’t exactly place where he had heard the name before to hide his car in the garage and he walked into the kitchen  
to Gwen saying, “These are Arthur’s friends.”  
  
“Oh really?” Morgana asked and Arthur very nearly threw himself in between then. Merlin was staring at her like he didn’t know what to do with himself and Arthur couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his sister in Camelot but if Merlin’s face meant anything, he wasn’t going to like it when he did.  
  
She had wanted him dead and he didn’t know if she had succeeded or not.  
  
Morgana, his sister who had once broke someone’s nose over an offhand comment that had muttered in Arthur’s direction, turned her gaze to him, “I thought we had enough of your friends here.”  
  
“I decided we needed three more.”  
  
“This is Merlin from France. We found him in Twyford.”  
  
“Oh the _or something_!”  
  
“Do not.” Arthur said and Morgana just sent him a knowing little smile.  
  
“Well then, you can help them finish hanging the decorations in the great room.”  
  
“I’m not getting the ladder out.”  
  
“Well it’s a good thing we’ve got magic then.” Gilli smiled and Morgana raised her eyebrow approvingly.  
  
“Finally he befriends someone useful.”  
  
“Have none of you have magic?” Freya asked. She sounded pointedly innocent and Arthur immediately decided to keep an eye on her.  
  
Morgana shook her head, “sometimes I have dreams that sometimes vaguely come true--”  
  
At this Gwen inexplicably blushed and busied herself with pouring crisps into bowls and handing them to her brother to hand out. Arthur shifted and looked for something for him to do because he did Not want to know.  
  
“--and Connie sometimes can manage something simple like turn off the lights or turn down the volume on the radio but that’s it.”  
  
Connie protested at that but then Leon shoved a couple bags of decorations into Arthur’s arms and Arthur led them into the great room. He was thankful to be away from his idiot friends. He had one chance to impress Merlin’s friends and he wasn’t going to blow it.  
  
“Huh.” was all Merlin said before him and his friends exchanged glances that Arthur couldn’t read.  
  
“It’s quite strange that none of you really have magic.” Freya said quietly, digging into one of the bags and pulling out some hanging pom poms. She opened them, and then then hung them in the doorway with a flick of her hand and a flash of gold in her eyes.  
  
Arthur shrugged, “I’m starting to think it wasn’t exactly coincidental.”  
  
Freya tilted her head like she was considering it and then Gwen, looking a bit frazzled burst into the room. “She’s on her way and--”  
  
Merlin got up, tossing a thing of streamers at Arthur probably just because he could, “it’s already we’ll be done in here in a couple of minutes--here look.”  
  
Freya's eyes flashed gold as she whispered something under her breath, the streamers were tugged from Arthur’s hand and they started hanging themselves around the room.  Gilli rolled her eyes and then she too began to decorate the room with magic.  
  
Gwen, who had look ready to collapse on the couch not two seconds ago, suddenly caught a second wind and began instructing them with casual ease. Within a couple of minutes in which Arthur only had to step out of the way twice, the room was done.  
  
“You’re lifesavers,” she sighed and then she and Freya went into the kitchen as Merlin and Gilli proceeded to throw streamers over the rest of the first floor with Arthur following after them, trying his best to look useful. And not suspicious. Merlin wasn't using magic but Arthur _knew_ he had had it in Camelot.  
  
Morgana caught him as they passed her walking up from the basement with a basket of towels for the guest bathroom and he finally got roped into actually doing something to help.  
  
Luckily, by the time he walked back out of the bathroom and tossed the laundry basket back down the stairs to the basement (narrowly missing Gwaine and Connie), everything else was done.  
  
Gwen grabbed him by his arm and dragged him down onto the couch with him, Gwaine collapsed on his other side.  
  
“What’s Anna’s ETA?” Connie asked, glancing at the window like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to sit down or not.  
  
“Ten minutes according to Kay.” Elyan announced and Gwen sighed.  
  
“That means we have five.” She shut her eyes and let herself relax for a moment. Arthur just watched the room, Morgana had come to stand next to Merlin who looked uneasy. He should go rescue him but maybe in a minute or two. “Thank you guys so much for letting me boss you around.”  
  
“Oh no problem, we’ve decorated for parties on shorter notice.”  
  
“Have you?” Merlin asked, sounding amused.  
  
“Your eighteenth.”  
  
“Oh did we have decorations for that?”  
  
“He got completely smashed.” Freya told the room in a conspiring whisper.  
  
“Didn’t we all.” Gwaine joked, elbowing Arthur and they were not going to talk about this.  
  
Gwen’s eyes shot open as tires on gravel sounded and she shooed everyone into hiding. Morgana grabbed Gwen and pulled her behind the curtains. She giggled and Arthur made a point to not look in their direction. Merlin came to crouch behind the couch with him and Gwaine.  
  
“Quite a way to meet your sister.” he told her and Gwen shushed them loudly. Merlin bit his lip to hide his smile.  
  
“I don’t see why Gwen wants to meet me all the way out here. We could have just met her at a cafe.” The front door opened and Anna suddenly became suspicious. “Guinevere, why are the lights off. Morgana!”  
  
Morgana snorted and Anna came stomping into the room with Kay on her heels. Someone turned the lights on and everyone jumped out.  
  
Anna stepped back into Kay and then laughed, grabbing a pillow from the nearest chair and chucking it at the room in general, “Oh you’re all the absolute worst!”  
  
“Happy birthday!” Gwen cheered, running over to hug her.  
  
“Your family is adorable.” Merlin whispered to him softly and Arthur shrugged, hoping Merlin didn’t see his fond smile.  
  
Anna made her way around the room and all but tackled Arthur in a hug. “You said you were going to be in Dublin this weekend!”  
  
“Would I really go to Dublin because our uncle asked?”  
  
“Stranger things have happened.” she said, glancing to Merlin.  
  
“Oh, this is my mate, Merlin.”  
  
“He met him in France.” Gwaine added, in a completely unnecessary suggestive tone.  
  
“Oh did you? I’m sorry Merlin, I don’t remember him mentioning you.”  
  
“We didn’t part on the best terms.”  
  
Arthur felt as if he had just been stabbed right in the chest and silently prayed that that hadn’t been the case. He didn’t remember his death at all. He didn’t know what had happened and, honestly, he didn’t want to ask Merlin about it because that meant moving forward. He was perfectly content to just enjoy having him back. Having his court back.  
  
Fuck, how much of his life was predestined? More than half of the people gathered in this room, friends he had made at Uni and introduced by friends of a friend had been in Camelot. He didn’t know Merlin’s friends but by the way they kept glancing at him, he was sure that Merlin had, at the very least, explained everything he remembered to them.  
  
Merlin pulled him from his thoughts by pulling Gilli and Freya over and introducing them with a comment that made Anna laugh.  
  
Had Anna been in Camelot? He didn’t think so but then again, he could hardly remember Elyan even though he had one very distinct memory of him getting his ass kicked during training.  
  
“Come on, let’s get the birthday girl a drink!” Elyan cheered and pulled her into the other room. Someone put music on and Gwaine immediately dragged him into a game of pong.  
  
Arthur lost sight of Merlin for a long while after that although he was pretty sure he and Leon were having some kind of debate near the food. Gwaine, in a show of spectacularly bad luck, had lost them a grand total of six games by the time Merlin showed up with some food and dragged Arthur away. Gwaine quickly pulled Gilli in to be his partner and if the cheers and cries of protests they left in their wake were any indication, she was good.  
  
Arthur leaned against the wall and Merlin perched himself on the windowsill. He shared his plate and then took advantage of being alone on the other side of the room.  
  
“Connie was king after Gwen.” He said and Arthur turned to look at him, “she was?”  
  
Merlin nodded, “they showed up a couple of months after you and Gwen announced him her successor pretty soon after that.”  
  
“There was no one else?”  
  
Merlin shook his head, “both Leon and Percival outlived her, but only by a matter of months. A disease swept through the soldiers quarters and they were older and didn’t make it.”  
  
“Older?”  
  
“Not as old as they should have been but they were at least your father’s age.”  
  
“Any one else? Anna?”  
  
Merlin shook his head, “Anna wasn’t around back then as far as I know. Your mother did die at your birth.”  
  
“Really?” Arthur turned, a little shocked and Merlin nodded.  
  
“We’ll get into it another time. Not at a party.”  
  
Arthur immediately wanted to asked questions because that comment instantly let him know that there was a story behind his mother’s death and he had to know it now.  
Merlin just took another sip of his drink, “Kay was with me during the War of the Roses actually. She’s a surprise. I really didn’t expect, well, I didn’t quite expect anyone except you. But I’m so happy.” he shrugged, “I’m so happy I get to see everyone again. Gwen. Gwaine. Leon. Morgana.”  
  
“Lancelot.” Arthur said and Merlin turned, smiling.  
  
“Yes! Lancelot! You said he was in France?”  
  
Arthur nodded and Merlin smiled like he was already thinking of ways to get him to cross the channel.  
  
Anna swooped over to the two of them, giggling, holding onto a wine glass filled with something that was distinctly not wine, “what are the two of you talking about over here?”  
  
“I said to not bother them!” Kay shouted and Anna flipped her off.  
  
“Nothing important.”  
  
“Oh good, I need a partner for pong and I want Merlin to be on my team.”  
  
“Not me? Your only brother?”  
  
Anna clumsily pat his cheek, “of course not, love. I want to win and I have a good feeling about him.”  
  
Merlin glanced at him, a little helplessly as Anna dragged him off but Arthur just let him go, finishing his drink quickly to still the queasy feeling settling in his bones.

 

* * *

  
Gwen flung herself back onto the bed, “Today was exhausting.”  
  
“I can’t believe Arthur bought more friends.”  
  
“I like them!”  
  
“He says he met Merlin in France but that’s bullshit. Did you see the way he looked at him?”  
  
“I agree. He would have be insufferable with his pining and moping.” Gwen sighed, rubbing at her eyes and smearing the makeup she hadn’t bothered to remove.  
  
“He would have been absolutely horrid,” Morgana agreed, pulling on her night dress.  
  
“So why is he lying?”  
  
“They looked absolutely smitten and--”  
  
“Almost too familiar. Merlin looked as if he knew everyone already.”  
  
“I’ve never seen Arthur share so much information with someone before, he’s usually a bit of an ass. This was meant to be a fun, relaxing weeked for Anna and now Arthur’s shown up with this mystery he won’t stop making heart eyes at and mystery’s plus two.”  
  
“Oh, I like the both of them too-they’re fun and absolutely rigged x in Anna’s favor.” Gwen smiled, tugging Morgana into bed next to her.  
  
“Gwaine got so pissed so fast.”  
  
“Gwaine’s always been a lightweight.”  
  
“Guinevere be nice.”  
  
She rolled her eyes, “he was my friend before Arthur got him you know.”  
  
“He’s not really your ex is he?”  
  
Gwen laughed, rolling over to her back, she covered her mouth with her hand, “Morgana.” she laughed again and Morgana turned to look at her, propping herself up on her elbow.  
  
“Gwen.”  
  
“Oh please, Morgana, don’t tease.”  
  
Morgana leaned down, kissing her. Gwen reached up, running her fingers through her hair and pulled the hair tie out. She brushed her hair out with her fingers as she kissed her back and Morgana brushed her fingers down her side. She ran her fingers over her waist and then slipped them under her shirt.  
  
“I’m a little worried about Arthur keeping this a secret. Do you think he’s okay.”  
  
“We can worry about Arthur in the morning.” Morgana sighed and then pulled Gwen’s shirt up over her head. Gwen gave her a pointed look but only leaned up to kiss her girlfriend.  
  
“I guess there are more important things right now.”  
  
Morgana brushed her hair back behind her ear and smiled down at Gwen who beamed back at her.  
  
Suddenly, the curtains were on fire.  
  
Morgana screamed and Gwen grabbed for a shirt.  
  
“I did that--” Morgana gasped, her face white.  
  
“What do you mean, you did that? Did you knock a candle over? I didn’t--”  
  
“No I don’t mean with a candle--I mean I did that with--”  
  
“Magic? Morgana!”  
  
“I know--!”  
  
“Morgana! Gwen!” The bedroom door slammed open with such force that Anna had to catch it to stop it from hitting her on the rebound. She stood in the doorway in an oversized football  
jersey, one hand up as if to shield her. “Are you okay?”  
  
“Yes--” Morgana began, still sitting shellshocked on the bed but Anna darted past them into the bathroom with the mug Gwen had left on the nightstand and she reemerged a moment later to throw water on the flames. He shot doused them and she tore the curtains down with a sharp cry.  
  
“You’re going to wake--” Morgana said, a bit helplessly as Gwen went over to help her.  
  
“Your curtains are on fire!”  
  
With Gwen’s help, she dragged the curtains into the bathroom and they doused them in the shower. The walked back out a moment later, looking proud of themselves and proceeded to tear part that part of the room.  
  
“Should we call the fire department just to be sure?” Anna asked.  
  
“Absolutely not.” Morgana said at once and both women glared at her.  
  
‘What happened?” Anna pressed on, content with their search of the room.  
  
“I did it with magic.”  
  
Anna stared at Morgana and then turned to Gwen, “whatever you did, don’t do it again.”  
  
Gwen laughed, thoroughly taken aback and Morgana allowed herself to breathe again.  
  
“We’ll talk in the morning when we’re hungover and not still a little pissed.”  
  
“Is that Gwaine’s shirt?” Gwen asked, suddenly suspicious.  
  
Anna just left without comment, shutting the door in her wake.  
  
“I swear to god if that’s Gwaine’s shirt.” Morgana whispered and Gwen sank back down into bed, pulling her close to her so she didn't stalk after her sister.  
  
“Please don’t even think about how you did that until the morning. I don’t want to put out any more fires tonight.” She tugged the blankets up around them and settled down on the pillows.  
  
“Are we going to asked Arthur’s friends for help?”  
  
“Of course we are. I’m not going to call up Mordred--it’s a school night.”  
  
"He’s in uni, Morgana.”  
  
“He’s a fresher. That’s practically a child.”  
  
“He’s one year younger than Anna. And he's technically not, just because he's taking summer classes--”  
  
“He's three years younger than Anna. He skipped a couple grades.”  
  
Gwen went still and she bit her lip, “oops. I’ve bought him drinks before after work.”  
  
“Guinevere Smith.” Morgana scowled lightly, “this is why you’re his favorite.”  
  
Gwen hummed and shut her eyes.  
  


* * *

 

  
“Hello?” Arthur grumbled and Merlin smiled as he rolled away to face the window, the sun was high in the sky and even with his magic, he had a bit of a hangover.  
  
“Oh. Huh. Well that answers that.” Came the faint reply though the phone and Merlin’s eyes shot open as his heart plummeted.  
  
“Excuse me?” Arthur asked sitting up and Merlin stayed perfectly still, trying to figure out how they were going to talk their way out of this.  
  
“My brother didn't come home last night and this answers it.”  
  
“Who’s your brother?”  
  
“Are there multiple men in your bed right now?”  
  
“There’s no one in my bed?”  
  
“This is my brother Merlin Emrys’ phone and you will put him on the phone right now--”  
  
“Oh.” Arthur sighed, sounding entirely too relieved, “Merlin yeah let me go find him.”  
  
Arthur walked out of the room, seemingly forgetting they were all camped out on his floor and Freya giggled, “your sister is going to destroy you when we get home.”  
  
“Mate, you’re so fucked.” Gilli agreed.  
  
“Yeah but that’s not till later. It's his fault he answered my phone anyway.” Merlin told them as he shut his eyes again. Several moments passed in silence and then Gilli started to giggle to  
herself. Freya went to kick her but got Merlin’s shin instead.  
  
“Is anyone going to tell him we’re in here?” she whispered as Merlin glared at her.  
  
“No. The longer he talks to Ganieda, the funnier it’ll be.” Merlin murmured, shutting his eyes again and trying to go back to sleep.  
  
“Fifteen hundred years and you’re instantly subjecting him to your sister.”  
  
Merlin nodded, pulling the blanket up over his shoulders. It was really comfortable, he wondered if Arthur would be mad if he stole it.  
  
“Merlin!” Arthur shouted from the doorway and there was a loud thud from somewhere down the hall. “You’re right there and I was looking everywhere for you.”  
  
“Was asleep mate, sorry.” Merlin murmured and Arthur mimicked him before tossing his phone at him and crossing his arms. Freya intercepted the phone before it smacked Merlin in the side of his face and handed it to Gilli who cheerfully answered, “Ganieda!”  
  
“Gilli I am going to destroy you. I called fourteen times last night and no one answered. No one answered except for Will but he’s bloody not with you is he?”  
  
“Oh Will!” Freya sighed as if she had forgotten they hadn’t brought him along and Arthur made a strange sort of noise like he remembered his medieval fate. Hopefully he didn’t. Hopefully he didn’t remember much of the tragedies that plagued their lives. He turned and walked from the room and Merlin’s heart plummeted. Fuck he probably did. Jesus that wasn’t going to be a fun introduction, especially since all Will remembered is that he died for a bloody pompous prat of a prince no matter how many times Merlin told him that wasn’t actually what he thought of him.  
  
“Did Will--?” Gilli asked and Ganieda shouted back, “No!” almost immediately.  
  
“He’s come round for pancakes and I added pineapple.”  
  
“We got invited to a party--”  
  
“Oh I know. Arthur’s already filled me in on everything--” her voice broke off suddenly, “Is he still there?”  
  
“No,” Merlin grumbled, speaking for the first time, “he’s left.”  
  
“Is that _Arthur_ Arthur?”  
  
“Yes.” Gilli and Freya both said immediately.  
  
“Oh my god, Merlin, you did it. You found him.”  
  
“He just so happened to be at the pub we stopped at after Frey got off work so I wouldn’t say found.”  
  
“He remembers. Not everything but a lot.”  
  
“Holy fuck,” she whispered and Merlin felt that sentiment in his soul. He had been desperately searching the crowd for blond hair since he first remembered Camelot but now that he was here, it had to be for a reason. When Albion’s need was greatest the dragon had said. He didn’t quite want to be there yet. He wasn’t prepared to face Albion’s greatest need. The fact that nearly the entire castle had re-converged made him feel all that more sick.  
  
None of them were prepared. Half of them didn’t even know who they had been, who they were.  
  
“I’ve met Gwen as well.” Gilli said, clearly boasting, “And Morgana.”  
  
“And some of the knights.” Freya added and Ganeida, his wonderful, brilliant sister, got quiet.  
  
“What? They’re together?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Holy shit.” she breathed, “and he remembers?”  
  
“He really does.”  
  
“Oh Merlin.”  
  
“I’ll introduce you.”  
  
“Today?”  
  
“If he comes back to London today.”  
  
“He better if he knows what’s good for him.”  
  
Someone spoke, muffled on the other end of the line and then Ganieda said, “he’s spent the night with Arthur.”  
  
“Mate.” Will’s voice was suddenly clear, “have some standards.”  
  
“Oh piss off we’ll see you both later.”  
  
“I cannot believe you dragged poor innocent Gilli and Freya into this as well. I thought better of you.”  
  
Ganieda laughed and Merlin hung up the phone.  
  
“Alright let’s go see if the Pendragons can cook breakfast.”  
  
“It’s early, no one else is probably awake.”  
  
“Arthur’s awake.”  
  
Merlin laughed at the thought of Arthur cooking but let the two drag him out of bed.  
  
To his surprise, everyone was gathered around the small breakfast nook in the kitchen. Anna was perched on the counter and Gwaine, Kay and Connie were sitting on the porch outside with the door propped open. There were a ton of pancakes and Merlin nearly fainted away when he saw Arthur scrambling up some eggs. The twenty first century was going to take some getting used to for the strangest reasons.  
  
“Oh good, we haven’t killed them.”  
  
“Gilli and Freya have got magic, they’re fine.”  
  
“Yeah but look at Merlin he’s delicate.”  
  
Merlin laughed and flipped Gwaine off as he went over to Arthur at the stove.  
  
“Guess what Morgana did last night.” Anna said from her perch as if she had been waiting for them to show up to speak.  
  
“Did you get trashy after I went to bed?” Gwaine called from outside.  
  
“No! Better!” Anna smiled, glancing to Merlin and his stomach dropped. Morgana had said she didn’t have magic. Only dreams but...hadn’t that been the case once before as well. “She caught the curtains on fire!”  
  
“Trying to be romantic?” Leon asked as if it were a common occurrence. Merlin wanted to comment but that probably wouldn’t go over too well as he was supposed to still be a stranger.  
  
“No with magic.” Gwen sighed, “leave it to my girlfriend to develop powers at the strangest time.”  
  
“Yeah on my birthday, Morgana, how rude.”  
  
They were teasing and laughing but Merlin couldn’t get Camelot out of his head.  
  
Gwen was looking at them and so he tried to hide his unease, “Since you’re here, could you help her?”  
  
“Yeah of course.” Freya said immediately.  
  
“After breakfast though.” Gilli added, and then pulled Merlin from the room. He tried to throw a smile on his face but whatever his expression was, it had Arthur looking uneasy.  
  
Fuck he had to pull himself together.

 

  
“I’m glad someone’s feeling as shitty as me this morning.” Leon sighed from where he was half buried by pillows in the nook next to Gwen.  
  
“Arthur go bring him something for his hangover.”  
  
“I should make bloody--”  
  
“No more alcohol or I’ll be sick, I swear I will.”  
  
“Yeah, I’ll go check on them.” Arthur said. He had a feeling Merlin’s sudden paleness wasn’t from a hangover. He had paled right when Gwen announced Morgana’s magic and fuck, he had to remember what had happened. Had Morgana’s magic been the reason she wanted the crown?  
  
Arthur left the room to Kay making some kind of comment that had Connie reeling and he just blocked his asshole friends out.  
  
He wandered down the hall completely at a blank as to where they would have gone but then he heard Gilli’s voice coming from the bathroom.  
  
“You have to tell her, Merlin.”  
  
“Absolutely not.”  
  
“Merlin.” Freya said, her quiet voice stern. “What are you afraid of? Arthur knows. He remembers.”  
  
Arthur was eavesdropping but that probably wouldn't go over too well right now.  
  
“I know but I don’t know what he remembers. I don’t know...anything. I’m not ready for this.”  
  
“Oh Merlin, we’re here. You’re not doing this alone we’re all here and everyone out there--they might not remember but they’re here too. Who knows when they’ll remember. And telling Morgana you’ve lit curtains on fire on accident too isn't going to make her suddenly feel homicidal.”  
  
“Who knows when something irreversibly terrible is going to happen and it’ll be up to us to fix it.”  
  
“We’ll face it when it does.”  
  
Arthur left before he could hear anything else. They had been preparing for this for years. They sounded so...resigned to this fate.  
  
“Couldn’t find them.” he told the room lamely as he went back and set about making them pancakes and eggs. He couldn't do much to help, but he could make breakfast.  
  
“What a terrible friend.” Anna mused and then dug around in the cabinet to her right for some ibuprofen. She put it next to her and pat it lightly to show she was prepared to step in where Arthur had failed.  
  
Arthur had made a truly impressive amount of pancakes by the time the three reemerged but Merlin, worryingly, didn’t look all that better.  
  
Merlin breathed in, held his breath for a second and then let it out slowly, “Morgana…” he began and the room looked at him. He glanced to Gilli and Freya who nodded encouragingly.  
“Morgana, there’s something I have to tell...show you.” He shut his eyes, braced himself and then held out his hand and said, “Upastige draca.”  
  
“Oh sweet!” Gwaine cheered, “I didn’t know you had magic too!”  
  
“He obviously didn’t want to get roped into being Gwen’s personal decorator.”  
  
“I wouldn’t have forced you to help!” Gwen looked stricken, “I never would have forced you if you didn’t want to.”  
  
“No it’s complicated.” Merlin said and accepted the water and pill that Anna handed him.  
  
“Please don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with.” Morgana said at once.  
  
“I won’t.” Merlin assured him and then he went to stand by Arthur and stuffed an entire pancake in his mouth at once. Arthur glanced to him but Merlin stubbornly refused to meet his gaze. He had to talk with him sooner than later. Maybe he’d be able to drive him home and talk with him there. Hopefully he didn’t live with his sister, she sounded like she was never going to let him get a moment’s peace.  
  
“He had a bit of a strange childhood.” Gilli explained and Merlin rolled his eyes.  
  
“That makes it sound worse. I’m just a bit hesitant when telling people about my magic.”  
  
“Mate, we won’t breathe a word of this if you don’t want us to.”  
  
“Thanks.” Merlin smile and then glanced to Arthur. Arthur smiled back encouragingly. Merlin stuffed another pancake into his mouth.  
  
“At least sit down and enjoy it.”  
  
“I’m still not quite okay with the fact you know how to cook.” Merlin muttered and Arthur sputtered, indigent. Merlin smiled and then let Arthur and Anna manhandle him into the seat next to Gilli. The pair served them pancakes until the notion of never eating again seemed pretty appealing.

 

  
“Okay so this one is a really simple spell.” Freya began without preamble as she stood from the table and gently took Morgana’s hand in her own. Morgana, for a heartbeat, looked like she wanted to pull away but then a determined look settled over her face and Arthur knew his sister was going to be fine.  
  
“Hold your hand out like this and then--” Freya let go of Morgana and held out her hand next to her, “ _Leohtbora_.” A small glowing blue orb of light appeared hovering over her palm.  
  
“You want me to try that?” Morgana asked, one eyebrow arched. Anna crept closer to the sink and put her hand by a cup, ready to strike if needed.  
  
“It’s simple. It’s what they teach kids just starting out.” Gilli assured her and Morgana just shook her head.  
  
“ _Leohtbora_.” she said and absolutely nothing happened.  
  
“You have to mean it--you have to know that once you reach out, you’ll do it. You can move your feet without believing you can but magic needs unwavering belief. You can’t doubt it for a second. Even the slightest nagging doubt can have monumental effects on the spell you’re trying to cast.”  
  
“You’re a good teacher.” Gwen smiled.  
  
“Merlin skipped classes.” She told her lightly, but her cheeks still flushed. “I was the only one who was there to teach him.”  
  
“Will helped.” Gilli teased and both Freya and Merlin choked a little.  
  
“Will’s Merlin’s best mate and they’re still both banned from half the businesses in their home town.”  
  
“We’re banned from three places.” Merlin interrupted in a pitiful attempt to save his ego.  
  
“Which is half.”  
  
Arthur listened as they bickered and watched as Morgana mouthed the spell to herself, staring at her hands.  
  
There was a flash of blue light and she gasped, turning to Anna and Gwen, “that was me!”  
  
“That’s really good.” Freya smiled and placed her hand on the back of Morgana’s, “now easy, you want it to light the way, not blind you.”  
  
“ _Leohtbora_.” Morgana repeated and the glowing orb floated above her palm for several long seconds. When Arthur glanced to Merlin it was to see he looked impressed and terrifying, a little fearful? Their friends cheered for her and Morgana laughed when it faded out with a couple sparks.  
  
“So...if I wanted to--bring that bottle of beer to me--” Morgana said, her eyes shining, “What would I have to do?”  
  
“That’s easy.” Gilli interrupted. She stepped forward, stretched out her hand and said “ _o_ _ngebringan_ ”. The tv remote shot into her hand and she turned to Morgana before going back to the tv, “got it?”

Morgana couldn't hide her excited smile as she reached her hand out and “ _o_ _ngebringan_ ” the beer bottle flew into her hand.

“Sick.” Gwaine whispered even though Morgana had splashed nearly the entire bottle on herself.

“It can get tricky--everyone’s different so every spell behaves a little differently depending on the person.” Freya reached out and waved her hand over Morgana to clean the spill, “ _Fordwin wamm._ ”

“Do not ask Merlin to reheat your tea.” Gilli told the room in a stage whisper and Freya dutifully raised her skirt to show off a burn mark on the side of her thigh. Merlin pinched the bridge of his nose.  
  
“Get me that ping pong ball, I want to see if Morgana can take it from me.” Elyan shouted and Connie tossed him the ball after she struggled for several long minutes to locate it.  
  
He held it up and the ball remained in his fingers for several attempts. Then it was yanked away and dropped to the floor.  
  
Merlin laughed at the offended look on Elyan’s face and kicked the ball back over to him. “Keep going, I think you’ve got this.”  
  
Morgana’s eyes narrowed, determined and a little frustrated already. Elyan had no sooner picked the ball up then it was snatched from his hand and Morgana gasped as she held it up for everyone to see.  
  
Merlin waved his coffee mug around dangerously and he turned to whisper to Gilli and Arthur smiled. They had a lot to talk about but they could just enjoy the morning first.  
  
The others tested Morgana’s abilities for several long moments more until her magic began to get short and jumpy and Freya decided it was time for her to take a break.  
  
“Show them that rainbow thing--” Gilli smiled and Merlin glanced to Gwaine before he lifted his hands.  
  
He spoke softly and quietly under his breath and then Gwaine was suddenly lit up like he was standing in the middle of a rainbow.  
  
“How did you do that?” Connie asked, “do you bend the light?”  
  
Merlin nodded, “more or less yes that’s exactly what it does.”  
  
“Alright show us another trick.”  
  
“Okay, watch this.” Merlin laughed, there was a part of him that was wholly uncomfortable with this show of magic, but there were smiles on everyone’s faces and Arthur felt more relaxed than he could remember.  
  
He could feel that seeing Merlin do magic was somehow wrong but--he was so happy, so content. Maybe he hadn’t had magic before? Maybe it had to keep it a secret for some reason?  
  
Merlin carefully looked at the tips of his outstretched fingers and tiny fireworks exploded a few inches from his skin.  
  
“Mate.” Gwaine and Elyan said at once.  
  
Merlin, knowing exactly what they meant, walked to stand on the porch. He repeated the spell and suddenly the sky was full of fireworks. Merlin twisted his hand ever so often and the fireworks reacted differently to each motion.  
  
“This is so cool.” Anna whispered, squeezing past Arthur to stand on the porch to watch the show. “Morgs, you have got to learn how to do this.”  
  
Morgana laughed, sipping a coffee, “absolutely not. Learning how to blow things up is the last thing I need to do.”  
  
“I agree, we should learn how to prevent fires before we start learning how to make them.” Gwen added walking out to stand next to Anna.  
  
“It’s called a hose.” Anna hissed and Merlin’s laughter made a shooting firework dance along the treetops.  
  
Next to him on the counter, someone’s phone went off and Arthur flinched. On the screen was a smiling girl whose eyes were startling similar to Merlin’s.  
  
“Can you get that?”  
  
Arthur looked to Gilli and Freya but both of them shook their heads and motioned for him to take it. They were cowards is what they were. Merlin’s little sister was going to straight up murder him when she got her hands on him.  
  
He glanced around the room again but help wasn’t coming. He answered it as the booms from outside got quieter. “Hello?”  
  
“Oh Arthur.” the girl smiled, her voice sticky sweet and he almost wanted to hang right up. “Could you please let my brother know that I need him to come back home--to the flat I mean. In London.”  
  
“Is everything alright?”  
  
“Oh, yes, everything is just fine. We just have a lot to get done today and--is that fireworks I hear?”  
  
“Yeah he’s--”  
  
“Merlin’s making fireworks?”  
  
“Is that a problem?”  
  
“No he’s just--a bit hesitant with his magic.” She was silent for a moment and then she sighed, “if you get him to come home, you can come as well and I’ll make lunch.”  
  
The thought of meeting his sister was daunting, especially since she apparently hated him but he could get on her good side, that certainly wouldn’t hurt.  
  
“Of course, I’ll have him call you when we’re on our way.”  
  
“Do you like Nandos?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
“Excellent. See you later Arthur Pendragon.”  
  
Okay so Merlin’s sister remembered. Maybe she’d be able to tell him things that Merlin seemed unable to or maybe she could just give him some kind of sign that could tell him where he stood.  
  
“Merlin--your sister needs you at the flat.”  
  
The fireworks went silent instantly, “of course she does.” Merlin laughed and then he turned to look back inside, “we should be heading back, actually. Could we--”  
  
“I told her I’d take you home and she promised Nandos.”  
  
“Has she? I expect I’ll be paying for that then.”  
  
“Do you want me to flinch one of Uther’s credit cards?” Gwaine offered and Gwen swatted him.  
  
“How old are we?” she hissed and glanced to Morgana who had snorted into her coffee  
  
“Where’s your flat?”  
  
“London.”  
  
“What really?” Morgana asked, “and we’ve gone to Twyford how many times looking for you?”  
  
“You were looking for me?” Merlin asked, as if he hadn’t known that was all Arthur would do.

"Twyford's where me and Gilli live."  
  
“Wow. Was he as annoying as Merlin has been?” Gilli asked before Merlin hissed something and she fell silent, looking outrageously offended.  
  
“You do know we have cell phones and social media right?” Pericval asked the both of them and Arthur just turned and headed to his room to gather his things. Behind him his friends teased and made plans to all drive back to London together.  
  
Footsteps sounded in the hall behind him and Arthur didn’t have to turn to know it was Merlin catching up with him, “you don’t have to come to the flat if you don’t want.”  
  
“And be on your sister’s bad side forever? I think not.”  
  
“Yeah, all your friends love me and you have Ganieda and Will waiting for you in London.”  
  
“That’s because they’re our friends.”  
  
Merlin turned around to make sure they were alone, “I have to confess, I'm a little upset the Disney movie was so far from the truth, do you think if I asked they'd remake it?"  
  
"All those years in the tree have addled your brain." Arthur laughed, ducking into his room with Merlin at his heels. Merlin started to head towards his bed where Arthur had thrown his bag so Arthur intercepted him and nudged him so that he flopped onto the bed.  
  
Arthur rolled his eyes, he hadn’t hit him that hard.  
  
“I used to be your manservant, do you remember?”  
  
Arthur actually hadn’t, he just knew that he didn’t want to see Merlin cleaning or packing for him. “Is that how we met?”  
  
“I saved your live and your father gave me the job.”  
  
“Very funny, Merlin.”  
  
“What--you don’t believe me?” he began but then Anna poked her head into the room.  
  
“We’re leaving in an hour because a couple of us want to shower and then we’re all probably going to stop for Nandos.”  
  
“You literally just had breakfast.” Arthur sighed and Anna only shrugged and ducked back out of the room.  
  
“There’s so much that you don’t remember and I’m worried about what I’m missing.”  
  
“We’ll remember eventually.” Arthur told him, meaning to comfort him but his words seemed to have the opposite affect.  
  
Merlin, after a moment, smiled up at him, tight lipped and forced. Arthur turned away and tried to focus on finding his phone charger, he was pretty sure either Freya or Gilli had borrowed it last night.  
  
Their past felt like it was looming over them, waiting to tare apart the life he had taken for granted for so long.

 

* * *

 

  
Two hours later they were finally back in London and Gwen was messing with the radio from the passenger seat. Merlin, Gilli, and Freya were squeezed in back being suspiciously quiet. They were right around the corner from their flat (who, exactly, “their” was was a complete mystery to her and she didn’t know what to expect from this flat at all).  
  
At first she thought they had just reached a patch of particularly bumpy road, then she thought there might be something wrong with the car (oh, Arthur would be furious seeing has he had just gotten his car back from the shop).  
  
Finally she realized the people on the sidewalk next to them were experiencing the shaking as well and from the back Gilli gasped, “is this an earthquake?”  
  
The ground opened up in front of them without warning and Arthur slammed on the brakes. Their car skidded and he turned, trying to dodge the sink hole. The x came to a stop but the ground was still crumbling and suddenly Connie was banging on the window before Gwen realized what was going on. She wrenched the door open and reached in to unbuckle Gwen’s seatbelt.  
  
Gwen pulled the seatbelt off and climbed out of the car as her thoughts caught up with her. She and Connie caught Freya and Gilli as they tumbled out of the backseat with Merlin and Mogana had her arms around her, pulling them all back in a terrified clump. Arthur hopped and slid over the hood of the car as it shook.  
  
Merlin hissed at him and Gwen wholeheartedly agreed with whatever he had said.  
  
“What the fuck--” Gwaine began as they came up to the other car. The sinkhole was growing, but it was slowing and--yeah Arthur’s car was going to--  
  
“Are you fucking kidding me.” Arthur’s voice was hoarse as his car tilted and then tumbled over the edge. Morgana pulled her back.  
  
“Our flat isn’t that far away, come on.” Merlin told them and he tugged Arthur back.  
  
“My car?”  
  
“Is gone let’s just get somewhere safe in case there’s aftershocks, we shouldn’t be on the street.”  
  
Gilli gave the other car directions to get to the flat from a different road and then they were off. Gwen felt bad about just leaving Arthur’s car like that but she saw the worried look on Merlin’s face and that had to take the priority. There were sirens and alarms going off all over the city and there actually looked like there was a fair amount of damage to some of the buildings. Morgana kept her arms around her and just pulled her down the road after Merlin who was dragging Arthur along with him. There was glass on the sidewalk from some blown out windows and it wasn’t exactly common for London to get earthquakes--but the last major one she could recall had been 1580 (she only knew that because of her research).  
  
The ground began shaking again and Merlin, for some reason, darted forward. He was no doubt worried about his sister but--  
  
As Merlin ran forward the front of a building blew out and then collapsed in a rush of debris and and she watched as a beam stuck Merlin and he went down as he was blocked from view from the dust cloud.  
  
Gwen didn’t realize she was screaming until Arthur pulled her back shoved her into Morgana’s arms.  
  
“He’s fine.” Morgana said, but she knew she was only trying to convince herself of it. She tried to wrestle away from her buts he held tight. Arthur ran over to him and Gwen almost considered elbowing her girlfriend in the stomach so she could go with him.  
  
Arthur pushed some of the rubble aside and a wave of nausea washed over Gwen. Arthur was not about to come face to face with his friends corpse. He wasn’t. He couldn’t.  
  
“Gwen.” Morgana said softly and Gwen stopped struggling and tried to even her breath. Arthur continued to push things around and then he stopped, he paused and then he knelt down. Arthur pulled Merlin to his feet.  
  
She was lightheaded and dizzy with relief. That had looked so, so bad.

* * *

 

  
Arthur couldn’t believe that he was feeling Merlin breath beneath his hands. Merlin grasp him on the arm and looked up, smiling tightly.  
  
“You’re bleeding. You’re hurt.”  
  
“I healed myself. It wasn’t that bad.”  
  
Arthur opened his mouth to argue but Merlin shook his head, grabbed his arm and dragged him off to the others. Gwen looked pale and Morgana still had her arms around her.  
  
The moment they reached him, Gwen threw her arms around him. “That looked so bad. Please don’t ever do that again.”  
  
Gwaine gave him a look and Arthur shook his head, “he’s fine.” He led them down the street to where the others should be waiting for them.  
  
Merlin kept a hold on his arm and neither of them spoke as they made their way through the streets. Everyone was talking in that shared disbelief that followed something out of the ordinary and Arthur just focused on suppressing the feeling they were the ones who would have to clean everything up.  
  
They rounded the corner and immediately someone was shouting. Arthur pushed Merlin back in alarm but he just gently put a hand on his arm, “it’s alright--that’s Will.”  
  
Will. Right. Arthur was glad, that through all of this, Merlin still had his best friend at his side. This time would be--had to be--different. Last time something had happened to Will. Something bad.  
  
A figure wrapped in a shawl appeared on the steps as a man ran towards them. Gilli and Freya beat Merlin to him and he pulled the two of them into a hug. He looked over their shoulders to the others and found Merlin, “didn’t know you were bringing the whole round table, mate.”  
  
Merlin shrugged, “me either” as Elyan laughed, “the whole what?” as he climbed out of the car.  
  
“I can’t believe you found a spot right there.” Merlin whispered, his voice hoarse.  
  
“Yeah. I think that second quake broke something--we heard a crash and saw the dust--”  
  
“Merlin was in that.”  
  
“What the fuck are you alight?” Connie demanded and Merlin nodded. Arthur grabbed his wrist because he still wasn’t quite sure how that was possible.  
  
“Come inside, it’s not safe out here,” the girl on the steps called, she looked young and worried and frighteningly ready for a fight. After their conversation that morning, he sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be with him.  
  
“It’s not safe anywhere.” Merlin called back and Will threw an arm around him and led them all into the flat.  
  
It wasn’t very big but it was bigger than Arthur had really anticipated. It was two stories with four bedrooms upstairs and a bedroom downstairs as well as a kitchen and living room.  
  
“Nice.” Elyan nodded, looking around, “are any of the neighboring flats up for rent?”  
  
“They might be after this, mate.” Will told him darkly and Elyan just nodded like it was a perfectly normal thing to say and that he’d be checking the listings soon.  
  
“You must be Arthur Pendragon.” a voice said and suddenly Arthur was looking down at Merlin’s sister. She had dark hair and bright green eyes that looked worryingly like they had flecks of gold in them.  
  
“Yeah.” he said lamely and Merlin swept over to his rescue.  
  
“We’ve had a shitty morning so please be nice.”  
  
“The entire world has had a shitty morning.” she protested but then she just stuck out her hand, “Ganieda Emrys.”  
  
“It’s nice to meet you.” Arthur said, shaking her hand. She had a surprisingly tight grip.  
  
“Mum and Dad are fine.” Ganieda told Merlin, dropping Arthur’s hand almost immediately. “They arrived at Gaius and Alice’s about a half hour ago.”  
  
“Oh thank god. At least they’re together.”  
  
Ganieda turned back to Arthur and looked at him evenly, “I’m not that impressed.” she said and Will howled with laughter next to him. Arthur glared daggers at him just so he didn’t have to watch Merlin’s sister walk away.  
  
“Let me show you to your rooms.” Merlin said, pulling open the closet door and pulling out blankets.  
  
“Is it safe to stay here?” Morgana asked, she had her arms around Gwen as she leaned against the hallway wall.  
  
“We haven’t been evacuated yet.” Will shrugged, “the moment things change we’re out of here.”  
  
“No offense but we just watched a building nearly flatten Merlin so--”  
  
“The roads are all blocked off. There’s no getting out of the city.” Elyan told the room, cutting through their argument and they fell silent.  
  
Merlin dragged Arthur to help him pack up in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

 

* * *

  
Arthur woke up on the floor of Merlin’s room the next morning with Elyan snoring next to him. It would be a funny juxtaposition with yesterday if his car hadn’t run into a sinkhole and if they weren’t waiting for evacuation orders.  
  
He pushed himself up and crept out of the room. It still seemed early, the house was quiet and the light outside was soft. He checked the clock next to him to make sure that the sun was supposed to be like that and the world wasn’t in fact ending around him.  
  
Arthur slowly walked downstairs where he found Merlin in the kitchen, a mug of coffee in his hands, leaning against the kitchen sink. “Your sister hates me.”  
  
“No she doesn’t. She’s just protective.” Merlin told him between desperate sips of coffee. He didn’t know what he had been doing last night, but Arthur had been woken several times by someone walking around.  
  
“I have never seen her not glaring.”  
  
Merlin smiled, laughing a little and shook his head, “you’ve only known her for a few hours.”  
  
“Dad--we’re fine, I promise.” Anna whispered into her phone as she walked into the room, causing Merlin to turn around sharply. She grimaced to show that she was sorry she was interrupting. “Morgs is still sleeping but here’s Arthur--we’re at his mate’s house.”  
  
Anna handed Arthur the phone and then turned to Merlin, a tight smile on her lips, “Dad’s a bit overprotective. He wants to fly back this morning but apparently Heathrow’s runways are either cracked or overcrowded.”  
  
As Arthur spoke to his father, Merlin busied himself with making Anna a lavender white chocolate mocha because his roommates had the ingredients and she confessed that it was her favorite at some point the other night night.  
  
Anna just watched him with a wide smile and when Connie and Kay emerged from the common room when he was pouring it into a mug for her, she just elbowed them both out of the way and took the pot from Merlin as well so she could have seconds if she so desired (Arthur had no doubt that she did).  
  
Arthur hung up the phone and found the nearest charger to plug his sister’s phone into. She was notorious for letting it die on her. He sat next to her, careful not to get to close to her mocha lest he lost a finger and watched as his friends bullied Merlin into being their personal barista.  
  
Will emerged looking like he was just going to hit and run before going back to bed but he ended up staying and rummaging through the kitchen for some breakfast. Merlin argued with him, light and teasing, that this wasn’t his flat therefore he had no right to be going through their things but Will ignored him and decided to scramble up the entirety of their eggs.  
  
The smell of breakfast cooking roused the rest of the overcrowded house save for Freya who Gwen said was trying to get as much sleep as possible because she ‘had a bad feeling about the day’ and Morgana who refused to stir.  
  
“Want to go see if they’ve removed the barricades yet?” Arthur asked Kay when she leaned on his shoulder, her plate of eggs and toast tilting dangerously on her lap.  
  
“Already went with Perce earlier. It’s still there. Con’s car is just going to stay here.”  
  
“Oh do you know what--” Merlin said and then held out his hand expectantly to Arthur.  
  
Arthur just looked to him, the only thing he had on his person was his mug of coffee. Merlin rolled his eyes, “your phone? So I can give you my number.”  
  
“I’m just glad Arthur’s going to get laid because of this.”  
  
“Don’t!” Anna made a face and when she noticed that Merlin was blushing, she turned and glared at Gwaine.  
  
Not having Merlin’s number was almost a stranger feeling than knowing about Camelot. Arthur squeezed out from under Kay and headed upstairs to grab his phone to some of his asshole friends catcalling.  
  


* * *

 

  
Merlin watched Arthur turn to go up the stairs and then Gwaine grabbed his attention by throwing a throw pillow at him. He caught it before it could hit his sister in the face. She was being quiet as she sipped a hot cocoa and did her best to pretend she was alone in the room.  
  
“Did you really meet in France?”  
  
Merlin nodded, “I hate to disappoint but it’s really nothing like the illicit affair you’re thinking of.”  
  
“Ew--why are you imagining that.” Anna teased, “are you still upset my brother wouldn’t go to--”  
  
“Anna, you’re a darling but if you ever bring that up again I’m going to seriously be sick.” Kay told her and Gwaine for some reason looked offended.  
  
“Oh is he your ex?” Merlin asked, feeling like he missed too much of his friend’s lives. Time felt like it had been passing so slowly but...maybe it had actually been passing too fast. He had missed so much and he had to pretend it didn’t bother him. That he was a stranger, that he didn’t know what joy and heartbreak looked like on their faces.  
  
“Mate.” Gwaine deadpanned and refused to answer. Several of the others giggled.  
  
Kay and Elyan immediately started to tease him and Gwen both. Gwen refused to acknowledge any of it and just drew Anna in for a quiet conversation.  
  
Footsteps sounded on the stairs and their teasing let up as Morgana hurried into view, “I need to speak to Merlin.”  
  
“What did you see Morgana?” Connie teased and Merlin seriously missed all of them. It was weird seeing Connie with the others though. Wonderful. But weird.  
  
Merlin frowned at the panicked look on Morgana’s face. He suppressed the feeling of the sword sliding into her chest--it had been so easy, killing her--and he pushed himself up and went over to her. He passed by, careful not to touch her, he wasn’t going to scare her in a room full of their friends and he tilted his head into Ganieda’s room.  
  
“Your sister wasn’t in Camelot, was she?” Morgana said as she followed him in a shut the door behind her.  
  
Merlin shook his head after a moment, a little relieved that the panic was from her remembering. That they sort of had a grasp on, that he knew how to deal with. Mostly. In theory.  
  
Morgana frowned and sat down on her bed roughly. The movement jostled Ganieda’s stuffed animals and the little dragon fell over. Morgana glanced to it and picked it up. “Do you remember what happened?”  
  
“Most of it. I think.”  
  
“It wasn’t good.”  
  
“There were some good things.”  
  
Morgana smiled and then put the dragon back in it’s place. “I’m having trouble remembering them.”  
  
“All Arthur can remember of you is you kicking his ass during training when you were kids.”  
  
“Good.” She smiled at the thought but the smile was short lived.  
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
Morgana laughed, “No. But I think the world might be ending so just give me a moment and I’ll get this under control.”  
  
“Take all the time you need.” Merlin told her honestly, “you don't have to force yourself to be okay.”  
  
His sister’s bedroom had wide windows and he could see flashing lights out in the distance. Morgana drew in a deep breath and Merlin resolved to stay with her this time.  
  


* * *

  
Merlin and Morgana had been in Ganieda’s room for the better part of an hour already and Gwen wasn’t the only one who was starting to look worried.  
  
“Maybe they’re hooking up.” Elyan said after a long moment and Gwen sent him a tired glance. She had a sinking feeling like that would be the simplest outcome.  
  
Someone started walking down the stairs and she knew from the heavy footfalls that it was Arthur. He rounded the corner and eyed everyone suspiciously, “What’s going on?”  
  
“Your French fling and sister are hooking up.”  
  
“I’m going to murder you.” Anna promised Elyan and Will, who was leaning on the kitchen counter snacking on some chips, looked like he’d back her up if she needed it.  
  
Arthur had several things to say to that but Gwen silenced him with a vicious warning glance so he just went to steal some chips from Will. He was disgusting. She had just seen him down a heaping plate of eggs and he still wasn’t satisfied.  
  
The door opened and Morgana stormed out, looking on the verge of panic. Gwen didn’t wait for Merlin to emerge, she would leave him to the rest of their friends. She just followed after her girlfriend.  
  
“Morgana--” Gwen’s voice was small and afraid, “Morgana, wait.”  
  
She didn’t know what Merlin had said to her to make her act like this but it was bad. She was upset and Gwen was grasping at threads.  
  
She caught Morgana on the stairs, “Please. Morgana, O love you. Talk to me, please.”  
  
“You can’t.” She said and Gwen hated the heartbreak in her voice. “You can’t it’s--everything is just--so different.”  
  
“What did Merlin tell you?”  
  
“He didn’t tell me anything.” she closed her eyes and then opened them again to correct herself with a slight tilt of her head, “Well he did but it’s less of what he said and more what I remembered.”  
  
“Remembered?” Gwen asked, not expecting that answer.  
  
“Arthur remembers, Merlin remembers, Merlin’s friends Gilli and Freya remember. I don’t know why no one else does...we think it’s because of magic.”  
  
“Arthur doesn’t have magic, does he?”  
  
“No but he’s...he’s King Arthur.”  
  
“Who? Which King Arthur there’s been several?”  
  
“The Once and Future King.”  
  
“That’s a fairytale.”  
  
“No, Gwen that’s us. That’s all of us. I remember all of it--Camelot--being captured, trapped in a well for months. I remember it all, Uther lying about my father, Arthur taking the throne, Merlin poisoning me and I--Gwen I kidnapped you. I torture you. I killed Elyan.”  
  
“What on Earth are you talking about, love?” She reached for her girlfriend but she recoiled and so Gwen just put her hands on her lap. “I don’t understand.”  
  
“Our past life. You were Queen of Camelot. You were Arthur’s Queen and I was High Priestess, I was at war with the both of you. I wanted the throne and I was ruthless, Gwen. I killed him. I killed Elyan.”  
  
“Elyan is alive. Morgana--I--do you need to talk to someone. I don’t understand but I want to.”  
  
“Get Arthur and Merlin, they’ll tell you I’m not making this up.”  
  
“It’s not that I don’t believe you.”  
  
“I know. Just--they’ll tell you. I need to lay down for a bit until I can get control of the day again.”  
  
“I’m sending my brother up to keep you company.”  
  
“Great.” Morgana whispered, her voice hoarse but if she was convinced she had killed Elyan, the only thing that will fix this is Elyan.  
  
Gwen knocked on Merlin’s door and wasn’t surprised when Arthur answered it. His hair was messed up and by the window, Merlin looked worried, “Is Morgana alright?”  
  
“She’s upset and keeps saying she murdered my brother.”  
  
Both men flinched and Gwen shook her head, they looked guilty, like they had known.  
  
“She’s upset. Please help me understand so I can help.”  
  
“She did. In Camelot she killed Elyan.”  
  
“She did?” Arthur asked quietly and Merlin nodded.  
  
“But that’s in the past. It doesn’t have to repeat itself.”  
  
“Yeah. We were married.”  
  
For a long moment Gwen thought that she was misreading the situation with them and that Arthur had meant that he and Merlin had once been married and didn’t have to be so again but then she realized he meant her.  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
Arthur nodded, “I remember.”  
  
“Ugh, I hope I don’t.” Gwen crinkled her nose and Merlin laughed loudly.  
  
“So…” Gwen said, breaking the silence. She still didn’t feel any of the familiarity the others did--the pain on Morgana’s face couldn’t be faked--but she was with them. “What now?”  
  
“Now.” Merlin said and he and Arthur both looked like they had been avoiding that word for a while. “Now we move forward. The Great Dragon told me that Arthur would rise again when Camelot’s need was greatest.”  
  
“We have to save the world?” Gwen asked, her voice going up an octave. Merlin nodded.  
  
“We don’t know anything else except that we’ve got to try.” Arthur told her, his voice almost shockingly honest.  
  
Gwen waited a moment for them to laugh but the pair both just looked a little ill. She didn’t exactly know how to process this but if they believed it, she wasn’t going to upset them by doubting everything they told her. They didn’t have the luxury of doubt. There was too much going on to do anything other than keep an eye on them. “Okay.”  
  
“Okay?”  
  
She nodded, “Okay. I’ll go into work and continue the study. It’s a long shot but maybe it wasn’t luck that got me this position. Maybe it was fate and maybe the answer to what’s going on lies beneath our feet.”  
  
Gwen stood, mind full of formulas and tests she had yet to run, and left the pair to themselves.  
  
They didn’t laugh as she walked from the room and she sort of felt like she was drowning.  
  


* * *

  
Arthur flung himself back onto Merlin’s bed and groaned. Merlin stayed by the window.  
  
“Connie and Kay are talking to some officers at the end of the street. I think it’s okay for you to go back to your flats.”  
  
“If there’s something to go back to.” Arthur said lightly and Merlin didn’t answer. Arthur didn’t really blame him, it was a morbid thought.  
  
“Don’t think like that. Let’s go see what they found out.”  
  
The pair descended the stairs the same time Kay threw open the front door. “Good news we can get out of here, bad news we can’t take the car because the road’s still closed. Worse news, he thought Arthur’s entire block is blocked off because of live electric wires. “  
  
Of course it was. “Let's get out there so we can get back to Merlin’s whiskey.”  
  
“Is that a euphemism?”  
  
“Unfortunately not.” Merlin crossed his arms and wrapped a red scarf around his neck, “he’s been here less than a day and he’s already nearly finished off my bottle.”  
  
“Are you coming with us?” Elyan asked from the top of the stairs. Morgana stood next to him, watching everyone as if she was seeing them for the first time. Arthur saw her glance to Merlin  
and then away quickly. He wondered if she remembered who killed her. God, he hoped he hadn’t been there. If he suddenly remembered Merlin murdering his sister, whiskey was going to be the weakest thing he took.  
  
“What else am I going to do? Stay here? Of course not. Ganieda can stay with whoever wants.”  
  
“Why do I have to stay?”  
  
“Somebody has to.” Merlin sighed.  
  
“I’ll stay. We’ll keep an eye on things and keep you all updated.” Will announced, bumping Ganeida with his hip, causing her to fall into the couch with a huff.  
  
“Be safe, please. Anyone who needs to is welcome to stay here with us. We’re still okay.”  
  
Arthur had the feeling he was going out and coming back empty handed but he had to see his friends safely home, if that was a thing that was somehow still possible. They broke off into different groups, Freya went with one, Gilli with another and Arthur and Merlin went with Gwaine, Leon, Anna and Perce.  
  
The city was full of whispers and people huddled around their phones. There were less cars on the road than normal, which didn’t instill a lot of confidence in him.  
Gwaine, Leon and Perce’s flat was a few blocks away from Merlin’s and it was untouched. They left the three of them there as they headed towards Arthur’s flat.  
  
They couldn’t even get close because of the wires. But it was alright. After a little digging, they found out the flat was alright but inaccessible. They took a cab across the city to his parent’s house. It was fine as well, but power was out. Anna quickly instructed them to get the ice cream out and she threw together a couple bags for them to take with them. Arthur was a bit surprised at how efficient she was.  
  
They ate the ice cream in another cab (and then as they walked a couple blocks) back to Perce, Leon and apartment where they met back up with some of the others.  
  
Connie’s apartment was flooded, Kay had no power and Elyan’s bedroom windows had all blown out (he and Freya had used the shower curtain to fix it for now). Morgana and Gwen didn’t have power either and they bought an entire bag of ice cream with them. Ganieda helped herself to it when she and Will arrived for dinner. Arthur liked her, even if she scared the shit out of him.  
  
“It’s a bit convenient you can’t get to your flat, mate.” Gwaine told Arthur in a loud, suspicious whisper as he got up to leave with Merlin as it started to get dark.  
  
“Don’t start. I’d be home if I could.”  
  
“No you wouldn’t.” Lance laughed. He was staying at Merlin’s as well so he really shouldn’t be throwing him under the bus like this.  
  
Merlin laughed but he bit his lip as he walked away and goddamn, they were going to have to talk before it got in the way of figuring out what the hell they were supposed to do.  
Merlin’s friends were just as bad as Arthur’s, catcalling when the two of them went to go to bed in Merlin’s room.  
  
Arthur sat down on his bed again. It should probably unnerve him how quickly his room was becoming familar. He didn’t know, exactly, how to bring up the past.  
  
So he just watched him. Merlin just continued to get ready for bed.  
  
“Is there a reason you’ve been staring at me?” Merlin asked as he came over to crawl under the covers.  
  
What the fuck. “I want to try something. You can stop me at any time, I just want to see--”  
  
“I’m afraid.” Merlin laughed but he didn’t move as Arthur sat up and leaned over to him. Merlin’s eyes darted to his lips and then he met his eyes and that’s when Arthur closed the distance between them and kissed him.  
  
At first he thought Merlin was going to pull away but when he gripped his arm almost painfully and he smiled against his lips.  
  
“I waited so long for that,” he laughed, when they broke apart.  
  
“How long?”  
  
Merlin shook his head, “too long. Fuck. It was...it was hell all those years just waiting for things to fall apart and for the mist to roll away and for you to walk back out to me again.”  
  
“I can’t even comprehend waiting thousands of years.”  
  
“Well, to be fair, I got myself trapped in that tree for a couple hundred years, so I wouldn’t say I’ve waited _thousands_ of years for Albion to need you again.”  
  
“Still that’s--”  
  
“Please don’t freak out. I don’t really remember much of it at all and when I do, it’s never all at once. It’s not as terrifying as it sounds.”  
  
Arthur very much doubted that and so he kissed him again and changed the subject.  
  
“Is this a new development or not?”  
  
“I honestly couldn’t tell you. But let’s see if we can spark a memory.” Merlin pulled him down again and kissed him hard.  
  
“ _Gewseorc_.” Merlin said and the light switched off on its own with a loud click. It took several moments for Arthur’s eyes to adjust and Merlin slipped his hand under his shirt in the dark, he trailed his fingers over Arthur’s skin.  
  
Arthur traced a scar along Merlin’s collarbone and Merlin looked up, “Promise me we’ll survive this.”  
  
Merlin’s voice didn’t sound like his own, he had never heard him this close to begging before.  
  
Arthur couldn’t promise him that though. They hadn’t survived last time so what made this go around any different? Instead of answering, Arthur kissed him again and hoped that it would be enough for now.

* * *

  
Arthur woke up with memories of Camelot surrounding him. He fully expected to see Gwen’s curls when he turned his head but instead it was just Merlin’s arm coming to smack him in the face. He made a hoarse noise of surprise and then Merlin snorted and swore under his breath. 

“Did I just hit you?” 

Arthur was distinctly aware he was wearing a pair of sleep pants that were not his own. They were tight in awkward places and he should probably change into something else unless he wanted his idiot friends to make fun of him again. 

“Yeah but I thought you were Gwen for a minute so it was welcomed.” 

Merlin just smiled, “You loved her. Don’t forget that.” 

Arthur rolled his eyes and Merlin leaned in to kiss him. 

“Go back to bed, it’s still early.” 

 

* * *

 

  
Arthur woke for the second time to an empty bed. He listened to the din of the rest of the flat for a moment to make sure nothing was wrong and then he grabbed some clothes and headed off to the shower which was mercifully empty. 

He was overwhelmed by nearly everything this morning and that included sleeping with Merlin last night. He didn’t know where he stood with anything and the hot water wasn’t making anything clearer. 

He took his time getting dressed and when he finally emerged from Merlin’s room, the house was quieter. The telly was on in the common room and someone was talking softly as he descended the stairs so he headed into the kitchen. 

Ganieda was seated at the kitchen table, surrounded by newspapers and clippings. Arthur just went about making himself some tea. He had to start somewhere and tea was always the best best. Tea and maybe some whiskey. Yeah, where did Merlin keep his whiskey.

Ganieda looked up from where she was clipping coupons and then narrowed her eyes at the way Arthur was looking at her and the mess on the kitchen table. “My brother’s out. He went to get take away because your friends are coming back for lunch again.”

Arthur chose to ignore “Don’t you think the end of the world means that you can stop clipping coupons?”

“The world’ll rebound and when it does I’m not paying a cent for my yoghurt.”

“And they won’t, you know, expire before then?”

“They don’t expire for two weeks.”

“You’re giving us two weeks to save the world?”

“Better get a move on it, Mr. Once and Future.”   
  
Arthur muttered under his breath as he went about making himself a cup of tea and then Ganieda spoke again.    
  
“I know you’ve known each other for technically decades but you literally met like a couple days ago in this lifetime and if you think you can sleep with my brother and then drop him to save the world, I will literally destroy you.”    
  
A blush took over Arthur’s cheeks, “that’s not my intention.”    
  
“Intention or not if you hurt him the end of the world will be the least of your concerns.”    
  
Arthur didn’t quite know how to respond so he just said, “tea?”    
  
“Mint please, thank you.”    
  
“Yeah no problem.”    
  


* * *

Merlin was knocked clear on his ass before he had a chance to react. Although he could see the buildings physically shaking, everything held firm. He didn’t have to be Gwen to know that this wasn’t fucking normal.    
  
“Tu vas bien?” Someone stopped next to him and reached out a hand to help him up. Merlin stayed absolutely perfectly still, completely unable to react for a solid couple of seconds. The he looked up and the stranger gasped, “Merlin?” 

“How the fuck--” Merlin gasped, “I went out for  _ take-away _ .” The fact that he was sitting on the ground with  _ Lancelot  _ who should had been in  _ France  _ next to him, made him feel like there was a noose tightening around his neck, fate was pushing them closer and closer together and they’d have to figure out how to beat this if they ever wanted to, well,  _ survive _ . There’d be no relying on someone else, it would be them or no one. 

And they weren’t prepared at all. 

“Merlin? Tu vas bien?” Lancelot repeated, crouching down to look at him. 

“I--yeah I’m fine.” 

Lancelot smiled and helped him back on his feet, “are you with Arthur?” Merlin nodded and Lancelot sighed, “Good, I’m glad. That’s why I’m here. We--”

“Met during study abroad, I know. That’s the story we used to introduce me to the others.” 

“Do they not remember?” Lancelot asked. 

“Morgana, Arthur, Gilli and Freya do. Gwen knows but doesn't remember. That's it.” 

“Where are they?”

“My bloody flat.” Merlin laughed, “I'm on a take away run. What do you want for dinner?” 

“You’re on a take away run during the bloody apocalypse?” 

“Uh yeah, so you want to deal with Gwaine when he’s hungry.” 

“Gwaine?” Lance laughed, his accent making his name sounding strange on his lips. 

“Yeah. Come on, I'll even let you pick what you want.”

Merlin really wished that getting Nandos with Lancelot was the strangest thing to happen to him but it didn’t even come close. 

They went around collecting lunch for everyone as they tried to come up with a cohesive story to tell the others. Arthur got wasted in a tiny cafe next to the Louvre and he had once thrown up in a Disneyland Paris bathroom and they were pretty sure he had once hooked up with a girl who was friends with one of the evil step sisters. 

He really missed a lot but Lance had so many details at the ready, he didn’t really feel that distant. 

They finished gathering lunch as another small quake hit, shaking the ground beneath them but nothing else. A day ago, this would have caused panic but Merlin was honestly used to it by now. He was really surprising himself with how adaptable he was being recently. 

There were a couple more cars in front of his flat, Will’s was gone but he was pretty sure he was still in the area. Connie’s car was still there though, seeing as her street was under about a foot of water. 

Merlin pushed open the door and he had barely taken three steps in before Gwaine was complaining. 

“I said I wanted Nandos not Lancelot.” 

“I've brought Nandos.” Lance said, lifting the bag as a peace offering as Arthur nearly fell off the couch in shock because--Gwaine had said Lancelot. He  _ remembered. _

He was also apparently unfazed by it. “Literally marry me right now,” he told Lance as he placed dinner on the counter. 

Arthur looked to Merlin and then he grabbed Gwaine and dragged him from the room. Merlin glanced to Lancelot and the two followed after them. 

“Alright?” Gilli called and Merlin gave a hasty thumbs up.

“Lancelot?” Arthur asked and Gwaine looked at him, Merlin, and Lancelot like they were all crazy. Then his face went blank. 

“Oh.” He purses his lips and tilted her head, “so.”

“Gwaine?” Merlin asked carefully and Gwaine was suddenly in his arms, pulling him close. 

“Fuck, Merlin.” 

“Did seeing Lance make you remember?”

“I think? So? I don't remember.” 

“But now you remember Camelot.” 

Gwaine pointed at him, “Camelot! Yes! That’s it!”

Lance laughed, “welcome to the club.”

“Merlin I left you in that cave---Arthur--I told Mor--holy shit Morgana--I told her where you were. I told her--”

“It’s okay.” Merlin said quietly. 

“Morgana was after me?”

“It’s okay.”Merlin repeated firmer this time.

“Mate, you’re not fooling anyone.” Gwaine told him blankly and Merlin turned away from all of them. 

“What happened?” Lance asked and Merlin shook his head. 

“Did--” Gwaine began but before he could continue Arthur cut him off. 

“Merlin said Connie became King after Guinevere.”

“Huh.” Gwaine laughed but Lance wasn’t going to let up. 

“Merlin, what happened?”

“Mordred stabbed Arthur, Arthur killed Mordred, Morgana killed Gwaine, I killed Morgana, Arthur died.”

“Fuck.” Lance whispered and hugged Merlin suddenly. 

“Are you alright in there?”

“I didn’t know Gwaine knew Lance from France as well?” 

Merlin shot a glare at the doorway because that had been Gilli and she was toying with blowing their already stretched-thin cover in the worst way. He didn’t know how to tell the others without sounding both insane and high out of his fucking mind. 

He knew she was worried, fuck, he couldn’t sleep anymore he was so worried and Gilli was of the mind that the sooner everyone was on the same page, the sooner they could start preparing for whatever disaster awaited them. 

The earthquakes were just the beginning and they all knew it. 

“Okay well. Better not let them think we’re having a quadsome in here and let’s go face the rest of them.” 

Gwaine was going to make the others think they they were completely fucking insane. 

“How the fuck do you know Lance too?”

“Well. We knew each other in a past life. We were both knights.” 

Percent rolled his eyes and Elyan shrugged in such a casual way, Merlin was pretty sure he was going to be next to remember. 

“Merlin--” Freya shouted, bursting in through the front door. Merlin got a glimpse of the room as he turned towards her and he didn't know how to take the fact no one looked surprised, they just looked ready. “For Christsake I don't needs knights I need--Merlin.” 

“Oh you were in this past life with Gwaine and Lance.” 

This has been what Merlin wants to prevent. He groaned disputed himself and tilted his head back. 

“Merlin Emrys--do a spell right now. Any spell and pay attention to how it feels.” 

Merlin frowned, this wasn't going to be good at all. “ _Wearp_.” The throw pillow flung itself at Arthur’s face lighter than he intended but--

Something was wrong. 

His magic didn't feel right, it felt sluggish, like it was a thick syrup instead of the light breeze it usually was. He almost didn't have to think about what he was doing but that--that had been a real effort. 

It was almost as if--

“Is someone pulling on my magic?”

“Yes! That what I felt as well! It's almost as if something's trying to pull it away from me!”

“Someone’s...doing this?” Morgana asked, pulling Gwen closer to her. 

Merlin nodded, “Yeah. I can feel the tug on my magic. If you search for it, I’m sure you could too, you just don’t recognize it for what it is right now.” 

“Well, we have to stop them then, don’t we?” Arthur said and Merlin turned slowly. 

Here was destiny laid out in front of them.  
  


* * *

  
Gwen turned off the news. There was a blizzard over Scotland, half of Wales was flooded, and America was on fire.  


The news was off. 

She heard most of it anyway as she was volunteering. Whenever she wasn't working she was at a shelter. Arthur and Merlin, she was pretty sure, were in a passive aggressive fight to see who was more helpful. They were  _everywhere_. She was also pretty sure they were sleeping together now so. There's that.  

Her friends were still convinced they were the ones to fix this mess but Gwen just focused on what she could do. The pattern she thought she had seen before was starting to look like a spiral. 

She was also having weird dreams but she was actively trying to ignore them. They weren't magic I-saw-myself-going-down-on-my-brother's-mate dreams but...Camelot dreams. She dreamt of Merlin stuck in the stocks and seeing her brother knighted, brushing Morgana's hair and looking up at Arthur as he placed a crown on her head. She was paying very close attention to how she was feeling. 

"Hey, Gwen, can you help me take the last of these boxes to the car?" Merlin leaned on the table next to her, careful not to disturb the ph level reports she was looking over (nothing was out of the ordinary in the slightest).

"Of course." She let him pull her to her feet and they went to grab the remainder of the boxes of donated food. They'd been shuffling supplies around the past couple of days. "Merlin, I can't see over this box." she complained with a laugh.

"It's fine, Will's car is right across the street."

Gwen stepped off the sidewalk, following after Merlin blindly and suddenly there were tires screeching, several thuds, the sound of cans rolling and more screeching farther away. Gwen froze and then all but threw the box to the ground as her thoughts caught up with her. The contents of Merlin's box were scattered across the road and Merlin--

Gwen screamed, raced forward a few steps then stopped, shell shocked and frozen. 

He lay in the middle of the road like a rag doll, perfectly still. Her entire body went numb and she raced over to him, keeling in blood. Gently she placed her hand on her sholder, “merlin?” She whispered, her voice was not her own. 

Her hand hovered hover his neck, it was twisted at an unnatural angle and--she grabbed his wrist, praying for a pulse. 

He still wasn't moving.

She could feel nothing. 

Merlin was dead. 

Grief washed over her, sharp and intense and not at all like she had met him days ago. She looked around but there was no one. She had to--there had to be something--  


She pushed herself up on her heels, she couldn’t leave him here. He was supposed to be the most powerful wizard in the world but he looked like nothing but a man here. 

Arthur. Fuck. How was she going to tell Arthur. 

She pushed herself up to her feet but before she could turn away--

He stirred.

Gwen was at his side, “Merlin,” her breath was a whisper of a prayer. 

His eyes fluttered open and okay. Okay she believed in all of this. Of course she believed it because Morgana did but this--this went deeper. He had been dead and gone and here he was stirring. 

“Merlin, can you stand? If anyone sees you--” 

“Gwen…” he groaned, trying to sit up. “Fuck that hurt.” 

“Uh yeah--you just broke your neck” she hissed. “You were just not breathing. You were just dead.” 

“What?” 

“You’re immortal, Merlin.” 

Merlin sunk back and sighed, “yeah. Yeah I am.” 

“Come on, let’s get this mess cleaned up before another car comes to run you over.” 

“I was hit by a car.”

“You were just killed in a hit and run. Clean up the blood. ”

Merlin did and thunder rolled in the sky. 

The door to the school opened and Leon ran out, looking pale, “what happened?”

“I nearly got flattened by a car--”

“I saw you clean blood off yourself.” Leon demanded. If she told him he had just died and come back would that be better than lying?

“It's complicated.”

“You’re going to the medic with me now.” He grabbed Merlin’s arm and dragged him inside. As he went, Merlin spelled the cans back into their box and Gwen picked it up and put it in the open boot of Will’s car. There was a splatter of blood on the side that she wiped off as best she could. 

Merlin remarried a couple long moments later as Gwen was just starting to get her breathing back under control.

“You okay?” 

“As long as you are.” Gwen said shakily and then forced him to sit in the passenger seat so she could drive across town. 

Arthur met them at the door of the community center with a wide smile that was for Merlin only. Or it was until he got a glimpse of their faces. 

He frowned and opened Merlin’s door, “what happened?”

“Merlin had a close call.”

Arthur paled and pulled him from the car, he looked to Gwen, “you’re alright?”

“He’s alright so I'm okay.” 

Arthur took two of the boxes and Gwen grabbed another, leaving Merlin with his choice of smaller ones. 

They dropped the boxes off and then headed back out to the car. 

Freya screamed in pain as they neared her, dropping to her knees. Gwen’s heart dropped as she raced to her side. She could take more of this today. 

“Merlin, thank god.” Arthur was whispering as they caught up to them but Freya was sobbing and Gwen dropped down next to her. The palms of her hands were completely burnt raw. Her breath was uneven and they had to get her to the A&E immediately. A&E or some kind of magic. 

“What happened?” 

“My magic did this. It backfired and it--did  _ this _ .” 

Gwen glanced to Merlin who looked like he wanted to be sick. “Here” he said, reaching out but Freya pulled away, “there’s something wrong with my magic.” 

“Here.” Merlin repeated, more forcefully this time and his eyes went golden and Freya’s breathing evened out a little more. Her palms were still badly burned but nothing like they had just been. 

“I’m so sorry--that’s all I can do--I don’t know why--”

“Something’s wrong.” Freya said, somehow not making it sound like the understatement of the year. 

“Why did your magic heal her when mine didn't.” Gilli demanded.

“Does it have to do with your--” Gwen began and then she trailed off. She didn’t know how much the others knew but she wasn’t going to be the one to out him. 

“I’m immortal.” Merlin said at once, “the past two times I nearly died--I actually did.” 

“Are you fucking  _ kidding _ me, Merlin. I  _ told _ you to be careful and you--” Arthur couldn’t finish the sentence, he just turned away. 

“I’m okay now. I’m perfectly fine.” 

“You have to be careful, we don’t know the limits.” 

“What the hell do you mean two?” Freya demanded, her voice ragged.

“I totally got nailed by a speeding car.” He said the same time Morgana, Anna and Lace followed them out the door. 

“What’s going on?”

“Merlin died twice and Freya’s hands are burnt.”

“I'm fine. Merlin healed the most of them.”

“Maybe we should just get rid of magic. Maybe that would solve everything.”

Gwen didn't think Arthur was being serious but that apparently pushed Merlin past his limit. Honestly? She couldn't blame him. He had died today. 

She might actually be sick. 

“Are you kidding? Arthur do you hear yourself? You sound like you’re back in Camelot murdering magic users again.” 

“ _ Merlin _ .” Arthur warned but Merlin shook his head. 

“I know. I  _ know _ . That it was a different time but--you killed Freya. Gilli had to  _ leave _ to be safe. I isolated myself from  _ everyone _ . Lance knew about my magic but then he was  _ killed.  _ Everyone who knew about my magic was either dead or in hiding and what happened once I told you? You died. I  _ killed _ Morgana once she found out. Everything in my life has been for you Arthur you’re the only reason I use my magic. I did so much for you and it was for nothing. I couldn’t save you my magic was useless in the end to save your life.” 

“I’m here.”

“But you  _ weren’t _ !” Merlin shouted, “For a thousand years you  _ weren’t _ !” 

“Merlin--” Lance tried to interrupt, stepping forward and putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Did you say you died twice?” Anna asked. 

“It’s fine.” Merlin sight and he turned and walked off. 

Gwen frowned but she didn't go after him seeing as everyone but Morgana and Anna did. They were scarily co-dependent. 

“What was that?” Anna asked quietly. 

Morgana sighed and Gwen let the two of them back to Will’s car so that they could finish emptying the trunk. 

Once they did, Morgana pulled them into one of the back rooms of the community shelter and did her best to explain everything to Anna. 

Gwen couldn't tell  _ what  _ she thought but she was taking it all in like a champ. 

“I would…” Morgana said quietly after they all fell silent for a couple minutes and Anna pulled her sweater around her tighter, the only sign of discomfort she had shown. “If I had to I’d do  _ everything _ Merlin said I did again.  If I meant keeping you safe, if it meant  _ ending _ this. Merlin talks about Arthur a lot but we’re all back too. That has to mean something.” 

“Morgana…” Anna said quietly, glancing to Gwen who was biting her lip in worry. “You’re not alone.” 

“No.” she agreed, “none of us are. It’s just sometimes, I don’t know if Arthur and Merlin know that.” 

“Oh they’re definitely full of themselves and think they’re the most important.” Anna said, almost flippantly. 

“Who’s full of themselves?” Connie asked, letting herself into the office. 

“Arthur and Merlin.”

“Just because he was a king and Merlin was your go to magic user?”

“Huh, you two then?” Anna mused. 

“I was King of Camelot.”

“Oh gross you were a dude?”

“I was a fine as hell dude, ma’am.”

“Wait so--” Morgana gasped, “how long did you remember?”

She shrugged, “a couple days. It was not really important in the grand scheme of things.”

“Are you kidding?” Gwen frowned. 

Connie just shrugged again. Morgana laughed. 

There was a knock on the door and Lance poked his head in, “Arthur’s on the phone with your parents.”

Anna jumped up and dragged Morgana after her. 

“Is everything alright.” Lance asked. 

Gwen sighed and Connie handed her a water bottle. She took a sip. “Yes. The world’s ending, I just saw Merlin’s dead body laid out in the street and then saw him walk away, we just told Anna about this whole mess. It's hardly noon. But everything's alright.”

“Do you want an ibuprofen?”

“Yes please.”

“Wait here in the quiet I'll be right back.”

“Thank god for Lance.” She sighed leaning back. 

“You never really talked about him.” Connie mused. 

“Oh--” Gwen gasped, letting go of the water bottle quickly. Connie looked over at her in concern and Gwen’s hands went up to feel the top of her head. “I just--literally felt the weight of--”

“Of a crown?” Connie finished for her and Gwen nodded. 

“We were out surveying some of the farms--there was a drought and we had to deliver some of the grain we had stored at the castle--there was a little boy--”

“With magic. Yeah, and Merlin taught him him how to--do  _ something  _ impractical and silly.” 

“His mother was so mad.” Gwen laughed and Connie nodded. 

“You really jinxed yourself telling Lance you don't remember anything. 

“I know.” She laughed hardly believing it. This was different than the dreams. It felt so different.

“I can’t believe I was a  _ king _ . How fucked up is that?” 

“The others should treat us better because we’re royalty.” Gwen teased back. 

“Yeah. Actually. They  _ should _ .” 

 

* * *

Arthur shut his eyes and let himself relax for a moment as much as he could. There had just been an earthquake in Canada, a severe thunderstorm had been sitting over New York City for a couple of day and there were record smashing high temperatures in Dubai. Thunder rolled out Merlin’s window and next to him, Merlin groaned back at it. The storm had been circling over London for a couple days now, Gwen said it was following a vague spiral that was similar to one Gwen saw in her research. 

She had been engrossed in her research with Connie for so long, he was actually starting to feel a little left out. 

“Holy shit Arthur!” Gwen called, busting Merlin’s bedroom door open. “Oh oops--get dressed it two in the afternoon. I have something important to show you everyone’s on their way here.” 

“Guinevere, can we have fifteen minute to sleep.” Merlin mumbled, now trying to crawl under Arthur.

“Absolutely not. I think we have a plan.” 

Merlin sat up and nearly took the sheets with him. Arthur knew he should have pulled on some pants. The flat had been deceptively quiet. 

“We’ll be right out.” 

Gwen didn’t wait, she tore back out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. 

“Here we go.” Merlin whispered and Arthur just tossed a shirt at him. 

Arthur thought he was being fast but by the time and and Merlin made it down stairs Gwen was holding up a graph that was entirely numbers and readings and saying, “Okay so the spiral remember--I think we found where it points to.” 

“That’s our plan?” Arthur asked. 

“Nice shirt, Merlin, wasn’t Arthur wearing that this morning.” 

“It’s the end of the world, let us have this.” 

“Enough about them hooking up, we think we found the center of the spiral and it just so happens that it might also be the center of some of the seismic activity we’ve been experiencing. Mordred went to that lab--they don’t have power but they’re making do. So. The plan is--” she broke off, “Arthur please don’t look put out, you’re being ridiculous--the plan is to split up, some of us will go to Mordred and some of us will check out the center of the maybe spiral.” 

‘Well then let’s fucking go. Who wants to go where.” 

“Gwen, Morgana, Lance, me and Merlin will go check out the spiral.  Elyan, Ganieda, Perce and Gwaine can go to the lab. Will, you stay here with the others--where are they?”

“Out. Connie and Leon are with Anna and her phone is going straight to voicemail.”  

Will looked ready to absolutely fight him until Morgana said they couldn’t contact the others, “I have to track down Freya and Gilli anyway. Keep me in the loop.” 

“Do we need anything?” 

“Wellies? We’re probably going to get caught in this fucking demon thunderstorm again.” 

“Do you think I’ve worn anything but wellies this whole time?” 

“Yeah, ‘neida you’re really serving up the farm girl look today.” 

“Says the boy who literally lives on a farm.” Ganieda shot back at Will and then she pulled Arthur out onto the sidewalk. 

“Please take care of him.” Ganieda whispered, “I know he harps on and on about being this ancient wizard that’s fifteen hundred years old but he’s my brother. We grew up fighting over what to watch on the telly and he cried in my room for a solid afternoon when the boy he fancied started dating a girl he was friends with when he was twelve. He doesn’t always remember being fifteen hundred years old. He doesn’t really remember it at all most of the time. Most of the time he’s my nineteen year old brother and please don’t let him fool you. Nineteen is much too young to have the weight of the world on your shoulders, to supposed to have all the answers.” she sighed and took his hands. Hers were cold but steady, “so’s twenty four, there should be someone else. Destiny did such a job reuniting everyone that it should have waited until you were older. More prepared. This shouldn’t have to fall on your shoulders. Destiny should have done better. If I ever meet some--great dragon or some--knowing being--anything that knows or controls anything to do with this fucked up  _ destiny _ \--” 

“That’s probably not the wisest decision.” Arthur said gently. 

“Oh no, they’re getting a piece of my mind, wise decision or not.” Ganieda scowled and Arthur wondered if she was always like this or if it was just because she was freaking out.  “We’re chasing maybes and people are dying and that’s not good enough. Today better give us some kind of answer for a change.” 

“I’ll watch out for him.” Arthur promised and tried to shake the feeling that he was probably going to break his word. Her smiled read clearly that she felt the same way. 

“Be careful.” She breathed and then she let him hurry after the others. Arthur could hear her footsteps on the sidewalk running in the other direction. 

Arthur climbed into the car and didn’t say anything for a long time. 

Merlin laughed, a small, hopeless sound, and he shrugged as he glanced around. “This is what I’ve been waiting for: the screams, the terror. This is exactly what I’ve been so disgustingly desperate for. This means that you’re here. That you’re somehow, impossibly back.” 

Morgana drove faster and didn’t speak. 

Arthur pulled Merlin into his chest. He wished he could save him, if he could take the weight and guilt from his shoulders, he’d do so in a heartbeat. He’d damn the world if it mean Merlin would be happy. 

It probably wasn’t the most optimistic situation the would could be in, given that he was supposed to be the one with the power to save it. 

How could he save the world if he couldn’t even save the person most important to him. 

Gwen, squeezed between him and Lance next to her, gently placed her hand on his shoulder, “we’ll figure this out. We will.” 

Gwen had science and logic, years of research and trial and error on her side. She had the only lead they had and please, if destiny as going to force this upon them, it better give them a path to follow at the very least. 

“Oh lovely.” Morgana sighed from the front seat, “do you see those clouds, it’s our time for the storm again.” 

“Hopefully it’ll blow through.” 

“At the rate the week’s going I’m afraid that if it just blows through it’s going to take our car with it.” 

“Please don’t put that out into the world. It’s unlikely but not improbable.” 

“Oh god, Gwen, that describes this entire week.” 

“I’d like to think this week has been impossible, thanks.” Merlin piped up and Morgana frowned into the rearview mirror. 

“What would have happened if Arthur hadn’t bumped into you at the pub?” 

Merlin shrugged but didn’t lift his head, “we probably would have run into each other during this mess and not before.” 

“Well, at least we had Anna’s party.” 

“It was a good party.” 

“She’s going to want us to one up it next year.” 

“I will if we survive this.” 

“Hold on, let me get that on video.” Gwen teased although her face was tense. Merlin lifted his head to look at her but Arthur couldn’t see what kind of glance they were exchanging.  

Gwen sped down roads that were in no condition to be sped down and Arthur just put his head back. 

He woke up to the car driving over gravel--actually, scratch that, he woke up to Gwen driving the car over a field. 

“Look what you did, you woke sleeping beauty.” Lance teased lightly. 

“How did you even fall asleep?” Morgana whispered. 

The sky was starting to get dark but the storm wasn’t upon them yet. 

“We’ve been driving around for two and a half hours. We don’t have an exact GPS location.” 

“I have the location, we just can’t get a signal.” Gwen sighed. 

“That’s almost promising.” Arthur said. 

“The worse things gets the better our chances of being onto something.”  Merlin said and then he squinted in the distance. “Oh.” 

“Oh?” Morgana and Lance said at the same time. 

“I recognize that house, keep going straight and then get on that road, I think I know where we’re going.” 

Arthur said absolutely nothing to that, he just prepared himself for the worst. 

“You know the area.” 

“Yeah.” His tone of voice silenced the others. He gave Gwen clipped directions for several minutes and then they were going across a field headed towards a lake. 

She parked and they all climbed out as Gwen busied herself with digging through the bags they had in the back. Who the hell knew what she had in there. 

Arthur wandered away from the car and trailed after Merlin as he headed towards the water. He headed towards where the ground was raised away from the surface of the water. Hopefully it had always been like this and it wasn’t a recent event. The last thing he wanted to do today was take a swim.

No sooner did they reach the top of the cliff then there was the sound of doors slamming on their other side and Merlin turned, a look of absolute acceptance on his face. Arthur squinted--he knew that car it was--

“Ganieda what the fuck.” Arthur blurted out and Merlin glanced to him from the corner of his eye. He didn’t care what he thought, he knew deep down this place was about to become extremely dangerous and Ganieda wasn’t made for the battlefield.

Christ, he hoped it wasn’t going to become a battlefield.  

“The test results.” She panted, holding up an envelope. 

“You couldn’t just call?” 

“My phone got smashed and Anna’s is dead. I lost service a ways back anyway” 

“Anna?” Arthur swore, fully expecting his sister to be getting out of the car behind her. 

“She’s back at the lab. Freya and her showed up a little while ago--” 

Lighting darted across the sky and she glanced to her brother. 

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Merlin just reached out and hugged her tightly before he turned, “go show Gwen. I’m guessing it’s important if you drove all the way out here.” 

“Gwaine’s with me.” 

“Oh good.” Merlin said and headed off to go over to where he was still dragging himself from the car. 

All Arthur could hear is that Merlin’s sister drove like a maniac and then he was chasing after her as she headed towards Gwen, Morgana and Lance. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“Phones are down or dead or lost.” She handed Gwen the folder and it took Gwen two seconds before she handed Lance the paper. Arthur stopped  walking when they headed back up the hill towards them, Gwen was looking at some device in her hand that Ganieda had pulled from her bag. 

“It’s not just this area--it’s this exact spot. All the readings are wrong--the soil here is poisoned.” 

“Is that why my ankles are itching.” Gwaine asked as he and Merlin caught up with them. 

“Yeah probably. Why are you wearing sandals to the end of the world.” 

“Let’s please try to remain optimistic.” Ganieda piped up, sounding exhausted. 

“I couldn’t find my trainers.” Gwaine frowned, “what is it, Merlin? You look pale.” 

“This is where Arthur died. Exactly. I couldn’t leave for days but this is it.  _ Exactly _ .” 

“The cliff is new.” Gwen frowned and then looked surprised she even spoke. 

“Yeah, this part of the lake eroded. You’re the one who rode out and found me. You and Leon actually.”

Gwen nodded like it made sense to her and next to her Morgana started to look a little sick. There had to be something. Anything. Arthur could do to fix this. It was his destiny so he had to be able to do  _ something _ . 

“If Arthur’s death was going to ruin everything and send everything spiraling out of control I know something that could have prevented it.” Merlin said, his voice laced with sarcasm. 

Gwaine crossed his arms and opened his mouth to speak but Merlin shrugged right at that moment and then shrugged again. 

“I know. It’s just--I don’t know--destiny and waiting and the reason I can’t die no matter what.” 

His sister flinched and Morgana went to stand next to her protectively. The small moment caught both Merlin and Arthur by surprise. 

“Let’s go investigate. Morgana does this area feel strange to you?” 

She shook her head, glanced down to the water at the edge of the cliff, “not really. There’s a static in the air but…” she glanced up to where the rain clouds were getting closer to them. 

“Probably the storm.” Lance finished for her. 

“I’m going to try a couple spells--” 

“I’ll walk around, see if there’s anything different.” Morgana agreed quickly. 

“Sometimes you’ll see plants growing strangely--twisting around trees and away from the sun. If you see any patches of diseased plants that’s a good indicator something’s going on with magic. Or that they’re just sick or without enough water or sun but--” Gwen trailed off and brushed the others along after Morgana. Ganieda glanced back as Arthur sat down on a rock next to Merlin. He wished the others weren’t caught up with just staying afloat. They were saving lives and cleaning up who knew what kind of messes at this point but to stop this, he needed them here. 

It was a seesaw balancing act and he had a sick feeling they were about to drop to the ground. 

“When the storm catches us we’re leaving. It’ll do no one any good to be struck by lightning.” 

Arthur didn’t know if the storm would leave at all so he just nodded and watched the others walk away into the nearby woods. Only Gwaine stayed by them and he was squinted off the edge of the cliff towards the water. 

Honestly, Arthur wouldn’t be surprised at all if a bloody sea monster jumped up at them at this point. “What’s that? In the water--do you see it?” 

“What did--” Arthur’s voice broke off and he cleared his throat before beginning again, “what did you do with my sword?” 

“Chucked it in after you. Only the King of Camelot can wield it.” 

“Well I’m going to jump in and grab it if it’s alright with the pair of you.” Gwaine headed down to the edge of the water and Arthur went to see what he had spotted. From where he was standing, he couldn’t see anything but Gwaine was walking with determination. 

“I’m really just going to try some spells to see if they can tell me anything.” Merlin told him. 

“I’m as useless down there as I am up here so I’d rather be here with you.” 

“You’re not useless. You’re the once and future king.” Merlin told him, sounded as if he believed it with every bit of his being. Arthur didn’t know if he deserved that kind of faith but if Merlin believed in him, then maybe they could fight to the other side of this. 

“ _Upastige draca_.” Merlin said, pressing his lips together once the spell had been cast. Sparks shot up into the sky, forming the shape of a dragon.  


His eyes flashed gold and the temperature dropped several degrees. The wind brought Morgana and Lancelot’s voices to them but he couldn’t make out the words. 

“So?” 

“It just feels--wrong...sour, sick. I can’t find one spot besides here--just here in general. I can’t find what’s making it happen it’s just--a sour feeling.”

Arthur got up and stood next to Merlin. He hadn’t moved from the spot so Arthur figured that was where he had died. He jumped up and down and looked around. Merlin stepped away but Arthur wasn’t done. “Hello? Albion? I’m back. I’m alive. Whatever’s going on because I died here can stop because I’m back.” 

“Are you trying to reason with the universe?” Merlin asked, clearly torn between laughter and complete exhausted disbelief. 

“I will reason with magic itself at this point. People are dying.” 

Merlin swallowed thickly and nodded, “Okay. Step back.” He lifted his hands and his eyes glowed gold and a breeze ripped past them as thunder rolled across the sky, violent and angry. 

Gwaine returned, and Arthur had to do a triple take before he registered that, yes, he did have a sword in his hand. “What? You didn’t believe me? Here your highness.” Gwaine handed him the sword. It felt completely unfamiliar in his hands. He turned back to Merlin. 

“Do that again.” Arthur breathed, his voice barely audible over the rumbling of the sky. It had to be coincidence but--the timing of the storm worsening and Merlin’s casting the spell had been uncanny twice now. 

Merlin did, his face a blank kind of terror. The clouds swirled and darkened. He blinked in surprise and then cast the spell again. Rain began pelting down at them and the clouds were so dark they were in danger of not being able to see pretty soon. 

“It’s magic.” Arthur’s voice was dark--disbelieving. He was in the forest again, bleeding and--even the damn dragon in the sky was the same.  


“Don’t you dare.” Merlin hissed, putting himself in between Arthur and the others. Arthur didn’t know if he was conscious of it or not,  “Don’t you  _ dare _ .” 

“Do it again.” 

Merlin looked at his hands. Gwaine looked between the two of them, "what the fuck?" 

Thinking back--he was pretty sure it made sense. Every time Merlin had used his magic--it was always followed with something disastrous. He just never noticed because fuck, why would he correlate the two.

But it was right in front of them the whole time.  

There was no one else draining magic. There was no secret evil organization. There was only Merlin. Twisted and broken and frail. Desperate to have what he couldn’t back. He wasn’t doing it on purpose, of course it wasn’t, but his magic was flowing thick and dark in his veins, through the air and through the ground. It seeped from him in waves of grief and anguish. 

Endless waiting. 

This time was different. Magic wasn’t something to be feared. It just was. 

Like his love for Merlin, magic just was. 

Like his love for Merlin, it might be what would doom the world. An idea formed in Arthur’s mind, terrifying and desperate but he knew he was right. He could see a way out, a way for the weight to be taken off his shoulders and he just had to make the decision and pull the trigger. 

*

Arthur turned to face him, a hundred emotions on his face and Merlin was in the woods again. Arthur was hurt, he was dying, he knew about the magic, he hated him. Arthur didn’t trust him, didn’t trust his magic--everything was too much, it was the end. 

He had made that dragon from the embers and lost Arthur. He had turned away from him, hated him. 

Hated his magic. 

His magic, Merlin thought. 

He knew Arthur was trying to be rational. Lights sparked from his fingers. He knew Arthur was trying to be rational but he remembered the sound of the magic user being executed on his first day in Camelot. He remembered being useless as the King of Camelot died  _ twice _ \--once under his hands, once in his arms. 

“I can’t.” he said, not entirely knowing what he was saying. 

He was so tired. So,  _ so _ tired. His lunched ached, it pooled just behind his eyes, begging him to exhale and close them. Just for a moment, just for forever. 

He looked down at his hands, sparks were radiating from him and he couldn’t stop them. He couldn’t control the shaking and the uneasiness that was slowly creeping into his bones. 

_ I think there’s something wrong with my magic _ . Freya had whispered to him all those nights ago. 

What if there was something wrong with her magic. What if there was something wrong with magic, period. 

Merlin met Arthur’s eye and realized that they might have been on the same page after all. 

He wasn’t afraid of Arthur. He could never be afraid of Arthur. 

Arthur loomed over Merlin, the moonlight lit his face; he was terrible. His lips were pressed together tightly, his eyebrows were knitted together in determination.  

No one had ever prophesied it, but from the moment Arthur was born, he was Merlin's doom.

Something in the air snapped, the leaves on the trees shook.

He knew what he had to do. He stepped forward, suddenly the sword didn’t feel that absurd now.

Destiny had led them all here. 

He kissed Merlin and then pulled away and made his move. 

* * *

  


* * *

 

  
Someone was screaming but--

Merlin could feel the Earth growing, gasping for air beneath his feet. He could feel roots reaching deeper, flowers lifting higher towards the sun. 

A searing pain shot through him but it was quickly brushed aside by relief. He did it—they had done it! The earth was pulling for his magic, healing itself with his magic.  Pain ripped through his knees and, belatedly, he realized he had fallen to them. He was so relieved, after all this time—all the waiting and nights spent staring up at the stars that grew dimmer as the centuries rolled by and technologies developed.

Someone was screaming and for some reason they didn’t sound as elated as he felt. 

Arthur was at his side instantly, catching him as he started to fall. He was so dizzy. How much magic had it taken for this. Arthur pressed his hands to Merlin’s stomach and he was pale, he was speaking but Merlin couldn’t make out the words. 

 

* * *

 

Arthur was dying, he was sure of it. His lungs ached, his head throbbed. He couldn’t feel his hands--

And the blood. There was so much blood. Merlin sputtered, but his lips couldn’t form the words and Arthur hushed him. “No, it’s going to be okay. You waited. You waited. Albion needs us. We’re going to—“

But what they were going to do suddenly wasn’t important. He couldn’t lose his friend. This dorky boy he met in that pub, who he dragged to Anna’s birthday party. “Merlin!”

He was still and no, this couldn’t be, not yet, not so soon, not already. “Please--” he gasped and everything around him slowly stilled. 

“Arthur…” Gwaine asked, standing next to him, a hand on his shoulder, “is--”

Arthur knew without hesitation that Merlin was gone but still he placed fingers to his throat and waited an unnecessarily long time to be proven wrong. Arthur’s face was ashen, his hands shook, his eyes wide, terrified. 

“Nothing.” 

Merlin had looked at him in the forest, with distraught, grief-filled eyes. He had never once looked at him out of fear but here they were. Merlin was--

He was--

It was all Arthur’s fault. 

The ground shook beneath them and Arthur gently placed him on the ground. Gwaine helped him stand and Arthur glanced to him, grateful. Gwaine couldn’t look away from Merlin but he grabbed his forearm in a reassuring grip. 

He couldn’t remember what he had been thinking--it had been the only thing he could do but why--

“Arthur--breathe--” Gwaine pleaded, his hands on Arthur’s arms were shaking but--

The magic. It had been Merlin’s magic and they didn’t know how to stop it. 

Until he did. Until Arthur knew, without a shadow of a doubt that if he killed Merlin there’d be no coming back from it. He could break the cycle of immortality. 

And he had done it. 

Instead of finding any other way. He had just done it. 

Gwaine was shouting at him, louder still as the rain pelted them but Arthur was somewhere else entirely. 

Arthur didn't care much about Albion at all. Didn't care that all over the world, waters were receding, plants were growing. He had only eyes for the man broken on the ground in front of him.

He didn't care for Albion for in its greatest moment of need, he turned his back and chose Merlin.

* * *

 

 

Ganieda screamed and the ground beneath them shook. Arthur blinked out of his panic and glanced to Gwaine. They turned together as Ganieda raced towards them. The ground was still shaking at they weren’t safe up here they had to get back to the cars. They had to leave. 

“No we’ve got to get out of here--” Arthur shouted but Ganieda raced forward Arthur and Gwaine ran towards them and Arthur caught her, dragging her back away from Merlin.

The ground was still shaking and Gwaine suddenly grabbed his arm, dragging him and Ganieda both back. 

The entire cliff side fell into the water without another warning, dragging Merlin’s body with it in a rain of grass and dirt and stones. Ganieda was screaming and it was all Arthur could do to keep her from jumping in after him. 

Arthur wrapped his arms around Ganieda’s waist and lifted her off the ground, dragging her away from the edge. She kicked and screamed, pounded on every inch of him she could reach with her fists. “He’s my brother! You can’t! Merlin! Merlin!”

“Where is he?” Morgana asked, coming up next to them with Lance and Gwen,  her voice raw and shaking. Arthur shook his head and Morgana turned, walking away from the others. Arthur couldn’t spare time for grief, they had to keep going. They had to get someplace safe. 

The storm was looming just as darkly as it had been but the rain was slowly letting up. 

It was quiet. Very quiet. The thrumming in his veins had stopped. His first thought was that his heart had ceased beating alongside Merlin’s but then Morgana whispered, “my magic’s gone--I can’t feel it.” 

“It’s--” Gwen began but then she pulled out her phone--the screen was cracked and she had to gingerly touch the screen to dial--and she walked away from them to speak. 

Lance appeared from nowhere, his face was drawn and his hands were shaking, clenched into fists--

Arthur was on the ground before he knew Lance meant to hit him. 

“Oh don’t--” Gwen protested, running back over, phone clenched in her hand, several inches from her face “hold on--Lance’s trying to beat the shit out of Arthur.” 

Before Gwen could reach him Ganieda threw herself in front of Lance, “please don’t. He had no choice.” 

Lance looked down at her, wrecked and then he pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back just as fiercely and Arthur looked away as she started to shake. 

They didn’t have time. If they didn’t hurry they’d all end up just like Merlin in that lake. 

“This didn’t fix it.” Morgana whispered and Arthur knew she was right, “it feels like the eye of the hurricane.” 

Arthur didn’t know how to tell her that he turned his back on the world and chose Merlin over everything. 

So much for the once and future king. 

* * *

Merlin became aware of the water first. It lapped against his legs slowly, calming. Secondly, he became aware of the rocks and that’s what prompted him to get up. The rocks dug into him everywhere, from the sharp pain at his temple to the rock digging into his abdomen. Gingerly, for his entire body ached horribly—ten times worse than any aging spell—he pushed himself up. He was on a beach—or—Merlin looked up ahead of him and something inside of him broke.

Ahead of him was a grassy hill. Atop the hill was a single tower.

Avalon.

He was in Avalon. The tower loomed above him. How long had he wanted to follow Arthur here? How long had he wished for Albion to no longer need him? He was here. He was done. But—Albion wasn’t yet saved. His magic had only been the immediate problem. He didn’t know what was happening now but something terrible  _ was _ happening and he was—here—dead.

He was dead.

Arthur was alone.

Merlin pushed himself up and stood best he could to look up at the tower. Then he turned his back, looked out over the water into the mist.

Arthur.

Merlin’s legs gave out from under him and he sat on the rocky beach, unseeing. Two sides of the same coin, his mother had said. None of us can escape our destiny. His destiny was to wait thousands of years for Arthur and then die before they won. He abandoned Arthur when he need him most. It was all so pointless. 

They had thought--they had both thought that this is what would fix it. It was him, it was his magic that was destroying the world but--

He couldn't explain how he knew it but--that hadn't solved things. Something still wasn't right. Everyone he loved was still in danger. 

The water was ice cold, lapping against his feet and he didn’t know what to do. 

 

* * *

Arthur wasn’t avoiding Merlin’s sister but it was still nightfall before he saw her again. She came so sit next to him and his back went pin straight. 

“If you’re about to apologize, don’t.” she said quietly. “You love him. I know you do. There was no alternative.” Her voice cracked on the last word and Arthur didn’t realize quite how young she was. She had such an attitude and bravado that made her seem older but she wasn’t. 

Arthur didn't know what to say. 

“I knew that this was a possibility. I just. I just can't deal with this actually. Wow.” Morgana, who apparently had been hovering, swooped in and sat on her other side. She put her arms around her and Ganeida leaned into her. 

Arthur leaned back into the pillows and sighed, “I’m just not cut out for this.” 

“None of us all but that’s not going to stop us.” Morgana reassured him and Ganieda nodded. 

“I won’t let Merlin die for nothing. We’re going to make it through this if it kills us.” 

Morgana frowned and then made a small glowing dragon out of her magic. 

“Oh good, so you have control enough for that now?” 

“It’s getting better. I think we might be through the worst of it.” 

Arthur watched as she sighed and then stood up and left the room. He didn’t know for sure but he was pretty certain that she hadn’t told her parents or Gaius yet. Telling them would make it real and...he couldn’t blame her. 

“She hasn’t told anyone yet.” Morgana said softly, hopefully not reading his thoughts.

“How is she supposed to.” 

“We should get her to her parents.” 

Arthur rubbed his eyes and nodded, “I’ll see how safe the roads are later today. She needs to be with family.” 

“Speaking of family…” 

“Anna’s at one of the shelters with Gwaine and Connie.” 

“Mum and Uther?” 

Arthur shrugged, “should be on their way here.”

“It's weird they haven't called right?”

“It’s only been two days and they’re traveling. It's not weird.” 

Morgana sighed, “okay. Okay. Let’s go take her down to the shelter with Anna.” 

Arthur sighed again, “I'm really not cut out for this.”

Morgana just laughed darkly in agreement.

 

* * *

What was he doing? Not cut out for this? He was King Arthur. If anyone was cut out for this---

“They don’t remember.”

Merlin flinched so violently at the suddenness, the familiarity and the complete unexpectedness of the voice that he almost pitched forwards into the surf. He turned before he fully regained his balance and saw Uther watching his son drape one of Morgana’s raincoats over Ganieda’s shoulders. “What do you mean?”

Uther glanced to Merlin, making him feel a bit like a servant again—but there was something foreign in the look something that almost looked like… _ respect _ . “Without your magic. They don’t remember anything of their former lives.”

Merlin didn’t know he was capable of feeling worse. The worry and anxiousness threatened to overcome him.

Fuck. Everything had just gone from bad to worse and he was stuck here. 

Merlin tilted his head back and clenched his eyes shut, he wouldn’t let the hopelessness over take him, there had to be a way to change this, to fix this. 

If they didn't remember, they didn't know they they were the key to fixing this. 

He had faith that his friends would do the right thing, they’d continue on their path just because that was who they were but what would happen in the meantime. How much damage would be done 

Suddenly, he realized what Uther being here meant. 

“You’re dead.” 

Uther nodded like that was outstandingly obvious. 

“We have to do something.” 

“What, exactly, would you have us do, Merlin.” 

“I don’t know. Something I refuse to let this be the end. I refuse to let Arthur fight this alone.” 

“Arthur isn’t alone. He had his sisters and his knights.” 

“I won’t let  _ any _ of them fight this alone.” 

He turned back, eyes narrow. He had hundreds of years of wisdom, of useless knowledge. There had to be something he could do. Some way he could tilt the scales in their favor just a little bit. 

Merlin focused his concentration on his sister. It would be easier because they had a blood connection—not that he didn’t try to send the others dreams as well. He did. He did all the time. It was the first thing he did upon waking and the last thing he did before going to bed.

The days stretched on with unsettling uniformity. When the light was just right he could catch glimpses of the others, arguing and trying to move on and pretend things were normal. 

Morgana had developed a cough at some point that had left her sleeve red and Gwen rushing to grab her phone. 

He couldn’t see if she was okay. He could only see bits a pieces. Arthur sleeping next to Gwaine who was awake and typing away on his phone, shooting Arthur a concerned glance every minute or so. 

Anna was somewhere with a beautiful blond woman he was pretty sure was her and Arthur’s mother. 

Will was with Merlin’s parents. Merlin had turned away before he could see any more.

“Excuse me. Are you lost?” A voice asked behind him, kind and concerned. He wanted to say yes, he  _ had _ lost but that would mean accepting it which was something he wasn't ready to do yet. “You don’t have to stay at the edge, the mist can drive you mad if you aren’t careful.”

The only person who ever bothered him out here was Uther and he almost wanted to ask her if she was the one lost. He turned away from the mist, away from where Gwen and Morgana were drawing a diagram of some kind and charting something they obviously thought was important.

The woman was maybe in her forties with light brown pin straight hair and shockingly light blue eyes. 

She was familiar but he couldn't place her. Fuck, how many friends was he forgetting? 

Her face went pale and she stepped forward, barely stopping herself from throwing her arms around him, “Emrys?” She breathed, staring into his eyes. 

Merlin just stared blankly back and then it came to him--oak and splinters and she had been crying that she was sorry but there was no other way. 

“Enid.”

“Why are you young?”

“I came out of the tree an infant.” 

“You went back into Albion?” Her face paled, “oh god that’s the reason-- shit I knew that spell wouldn't stop it, couldn't contain it but--shit.” 

“What?”

She looked him up and down again, “Oh this is going to be strange but come, sit with me and I’ll try to explain everything.” Enid led him back towards the grass and made him sit next to her. 

“It’s not enough that Arthur stopped magic--if magic is suddenly gone from the earth--it’ll die. People will die. There is no  _ without magic _ .” 

“What do we do?” 

“Wait.” 

“I’m done with waiting. There has to be something, anything we can do to help them from this side.” 

“So many have tried but--you know what...if anyone could do it. It would be you. You’re magic itself.”    
“Do I have to go back.” 

She frowned and tilted her head, “I don’t know.” she confessed. Merlin knew that she would do anything it took to save the world, she had done it once before and she’d do it again. “There’s something different about you though. We should start there.” 

Merlin didn’t know having a place to start could ever make him feel so relieved. He didn’t care about the mountain they had to climb to get the answers they needed, just having a place to start from was enough for now. 

 

* * *

No one was saying anything. Ganieda sat in the corner with Gwen, who had her head down reading what he thought was Merlin’s journal. He had seen a couple of pages before and--it had looked like a journal with dates. She was quiet but her shoulders shook and Arthur turned his head away quickly. A week had passed since that day but there were still times everything that was happening became too much for the girl.

Ganieda gasped and she froze for a moment before slowly lifting her head. She caught Arthur’s eye immediately but she didn’t give anything away.

“Ganieda?” Gwen asked cautiously, her hands resting on the girl’s knees.

“I had an idea. It’s stupid and...probably not going to do anything seeing as magic is  _ gone _ and the world is now dying from the lack of it rather than an overdose but I have an idea.” 

“Anything you need.” Morgana said, brushing her hair back away from her face. She was looking better today and they had another appointment in the morning so Gwen tried not to let her worry for her girlfriend show. She hadn’t had magic long but the loss of it was hitting her harder than most people. The doctors said it was because she had a powerful latent magical ability. 

Ganieda nodded and pulled her out of the room, the book was clenched tight in her hand.   


That hadn’t felt like a beginning then, but it had been. 

A few days later Ganieda sat next to Arthur, glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, notebook in hand. There were pages and pages of formulas and notes that she flipped through silently. Arthur didn’t know how he felt about recognizing Gaius’ handwriting. Ganieda didn’t know if he remembered seeing as she refused to go back home. Will hadn’t told their parents yet either, although if Arthur remembered Merlin’s mother correctly, she  _ must  _ know. 

Arthur was afraid that he’d spook Ganieda if he interrupted her now. He just ripped up a take away menu and handed her a strip whenever she needed a bookmark. 

“What are you trying to do?” Will asked and she looked up, expression unreadable. 

“I’m trying to call my brother long distance.” She, Morgana, Freya and Gilli all hadn’t previously answered the question and honestly, Arthur didn’t want to hear that answer. 

If Arthur hadn’t already been sitting, he would have collapsed. Dead was dead and he didn’t know how they were going to move on from here. 

The mood of the room shifted from hope to pity and Arthur knew she felt it. He leaned against her to let her know he was there. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded. 

Almost immediately she gasped, “Morgana--Morgana I think I found it.” 

“‘Neida?” Will asked. 

“I…” she began but broke off her sentence and stood, hurrying into the kitchen. Arthur heard her rummaging through the cabinets and then the water started running. As soon as the water shut off, Ganieda was running across the living room, into her bedroom. She swore loudly over several large bangs but before anyone could rush into check on her, she emerged, arms filled with vials and jars of powders. Ganieda dumped them on the couch and then looked to Arthur, “Can you get the bowl from the kitchen. I think this might work.”

“What’s gotten into you?” Gwaine asked.

“Gaius taught Merlin and I how to do this when we were just kids.”

“What? Make soup?”

She shot him a glance that shut him up and Arthur came back with the bowl. He put it on the carpet in front of her.

Ganieda ignored everyone for the next twenty minutes as she mumbled at the bowl, pouring and mixing with a determined look on her face. Morgana climbed off the couch to sit with her and then Freya and Gilli joined her a moment later. They whispered back and forth to each other. 

Arthur wanted to ask her what she thought she was doing, if she was doing what he thought she was. The girl looked like she had finally snapped. The stress of losing her older brother and the hell the world was falling into might have finally gotten to her.

She looked determined enough to raise the dead.

“It wasn’t meant to be this strong, just a silly game to catch the other when we played hide and seek and for us to gossip behind everyone’s backs but...in theory...if we go about it the right way, we  _ might _ be able--”

“You don’t think he’s…?” Gilli asked and Ganeida nodded. 

“If he is we  _ have  _ to try.” 

“Is what?” Morgana asked sharply. Arthur didn’t know if she was more ready to help or to stop them all from doing something stupid.

Sitting back in the chair, Arthur glanced towards the bathroom, maybe there was something in there that would knock her out for a bit, let her get some rest. 

“If Arthur went to Avalon...what’s to say Merlin didn’t as well. If destiny really needs them then  _ why _ wouldn’t it take my brother.” 

“Is that possible? Is it possible for him to come back?” 

“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t know.” 

“What the hell is Avalon?” Arthur interrupted.

“Okay so I found this journal. It’s Merlin’s handwriting.” 

Morgana pulled it out and tossed it to Arthur, who flipped through it. There were dates but they were wrong, they were 1256 and 1525. It was heavily edited too, with different pens littering the page.  _ Arthur was here? _ Written in blue and then crossed out in purple and next to it was written  _ dead _ ,  _ it happened sometime around 1412 _ .

Arthur looked up, “was he writing a book or something?” 

Ganieda shook her head, “this is from before he knew you all.” 

“So he’s psychic?” 

“He’s--something. We were something. My handwriting is in there and Will’s is too--if you flip towards the end he wrote _ Arthur Pendragon was a pompous prat fuck this _ .” 

“Who’s Arthur Pendragon?” 

Ganieda took a deep breath, “you.” she nodded and then waved him off. “It says you went to this place Avalon after you died.” 

Arthur opened his mouth, the poor girl was going to have a breakdown. He should have called her parents days ago. He should have called them as soon as they got service back. 

“And if Avalon is a place--who knows if it actually is-dead is dead and you’re sitting in front of me after all but maybe we can call it.” 

“That...actually makes sense?” 

Ganieda looked up, flushed and proud. “Now let’s see if we can actually get something to work.” 

Arthur read through the journal, as the women whispered around the bowl of water on the floor. 

At some point Morgana called Mordred and he was reading them some sort of Latin or Welsh over the phone. 

Gwaine came and then left again and then came back with Lance and Nandos.

A small gasp escaped the girl’s lips and Gwen gave a little scream as the water started to glow. Gwen crawled over to her and looked into the glowing bowl.

“What the fuck.” Arthur blurted out. He was on his feet instantly, book forgotten on the floor. Ganieda glanced up to him and then back to the bowl, she was too busy to deal with him.

“Hello?” she asked, a tremor in her voice.

The water was glowing bright and everyone had gone absolutely rigid. Mist rolled across the reflection and the surface of the water. Slowly, it started to spill onto the floor. 

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing.” Kay whispered and she pulled her feet up so that the mist couldn’t touch her. 

Freya suddenly stood and walked across the room, hands on her hips like she felt like she was about to be sick. 

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

“...Ganieda?”

The room froze at the sound of his voice instantly. This was impossible. First Ganieda, Morgana, Gilli and Freya had somehow conjured up magic in this newly magicless world and now--

“How are you doing this?” he spoke again and Arthur sat roughly on the couch next to Lance who immediately grabbed onto his arm. 

“Gaius taught us when we were kids, remember?”

“No I mean—Uther said that—“

“My father?” Arthur demanded but if Merlin heard him, he ignored him.

“—with me dead, magic was gone from the world.”

“Well, there must be a little left.” Morgana snapped, “Where are you?”

“Avalon.” And his voice cracked as he spoke.

“Avalon?”

Arthur had a brief flash of waves on a rocky shoreline—the summer his father took him and Morgana to the Italian Riviera. Anna had been pissed she had the chicken pox and had to stay home.  


He shook his head, tears in his eyes. “You won’t remember. You forgot. Everyone forgot. But—I’m going to figure out how to fix this. If you managed to do this then—we’ll find a way to fix this.”

“Fix this. Merlin, you’re dead.” Arthur said, much more sharply than he intended to. He got back to his feet and walked towards the hall. 

“And yet still here for you to yell at. Where’d you put my body?”

“We couldn’t bring it with us, Merlin.” Gwen said quietly. 

He didn’t seem all too bothered by it. “You got dragged into a lake and it nearly took us with you.” 

“Dragged in by what?” 

“The cliff collapsed why do you sound like you’re expecting I tell you it was a sea monster and what do you mean you talked to my father.” Arthur walked back over and knelt down between Gwen and his sister. 

“Arthur…” Merlin said, his voice suddenly soft. 

“We know he’s dead. Anna’s with Mum now. But he’s there with you in Avalon?” 

Merlin nodded and then he looked around at everyone, “I can’t believe you did this. Magic was gone.” 

“We’re stubborn.” Ganieda told him.

“And powerful.” Morgana didn’t sound boasting at all, she just sounded like she was telling the truth. 

“We’re going to beat this.” Merlin said, and glanced behind him. He said something Arthur didn’t make out and when he turned back, he was smiling, “we’re going to beat this.” 

The lighting was fading and Ganieda shook her head, she reached down to her small stockpile of vials and dropped a few splashes of something floral in the water again. It didn’t have an effect on the water. 

“It’s going to be fine--” Merlin told her and then glanced to him, even as the mist stopped flowing and his image started to face. “I promise--”

The light faded from the bowl and Morgana looked right to him. “We can change this. We can still win.” 

“Yeah but, how?” Arthur asked her and Gilli jumped up to run into Gaius’ library again. 

“We’ll figure it out when we get there.” 

“Wait--did you all just bring back magic? Morgana? Ganieda!” Arthur watched as the room disbanded and he was left with Lance after Morgana started barking orders. 

“I can’t believe we just skyped with Merlin like some twenty first century crystal ball.” 

Arthur laughed darkly and put his head in his hands, “I can’t believe he said he was in Avalon. I remember the tower now. I remember a tower.” 

“Avalon. Where your sorry ass has been supposedly been tucked away since Mordred got the best of you according to that journal.” 

“If I could could back, Merlin could come back.” 

“Arthur.” Lance warned, turning towards him. “Don’t.” 

“If I could come back,” he repeated, “Merlin can come back.” 

 

* * *

Gwen honestly had nothing to do with anything that followed the moment Morgana, Ganieda, Mordred, Gilli and Freya bought magic back. According to her girlfriend, it was a shattered kind of magic that could  _ cut _ them if they weren’t careful and the only ones who seemed to have any kind of access to it at all were her friends. Morgana looked ragged when she came home and Gwen did her best to make sure all of them were taking care of themselves. 

Mordred finally came to London and thought it was  _ hilarious _ that he and Arthur supposedly killed each other. She was pretty sure that he thought they were all fucking with him and honestly, that was for the best. 

Since she couldn’t do anything to help them she focused on helping London clean up. It was a completely disaster, especially without magic. The world had been irreversibly changed. 

Then, one day, Mordred came running into the shelter Gwen was volunteering at and unceremoniously dragged her from the room. “We’ve got to get to Penrhos.” 

“Merlin’s parents house?” 

“We need the space and they’re with his Uncle Gaius right now.” 

“I don’t think I’m going to like this.” Gwen told him as she climbed into the car and immediately had to shout at him for attempting to speed. 

It turned out she didn’t like a single thing about their plan. Layers of spells and charms and potions were put in place in the Emrys’ barn and she felt like she was on the set of a Harry Potter movie. Gwaine rocking a Gryffindor swear wasn’t helping the matter. 

She looked over their plans and nothing made sense, not the Welsh, not the Latin, certainly not the Gaulish scribbles. Arthur seemed to have better control of the situation but only just. 

“Holy shit.” Morgana whispered, “Guys--okay I’ve got it. We can try today.” 

“Morgana.” Gwen whispered, sitting up sharply from where she had been playing jenga with Gwaine, Connie and Kay. 

“No it’s okay--really. I just need someone to run over to Will’s parents and grab a book for me. Anna? Ganieda?” 

Ganieda shook her head, “My brother--” 

“Please go with Anna--please. We need that book.” Arthur told her as gently as he could, interrupting her 

“We’ll get the book and then we’ll be back.” she whispered and then without saying anything to anyone else, she ran after Anna. Leon glanced to Arthur and then followed them without hesitation. 

Arthur smiled but he was already relieved they were gone from the epicenter of their last ditch effort to raise the dead. 

“What if we accidentally raise  _ all _ the dead.” Perce asked and Elyan turned to glare at him but Connie turned pale. 

“Please don’t even speak that. I’ve been having nightmares for days about that exact thing.” 

“I don’t think we’re capable of that. Merlin’s trying to come back and he’s in Avalon and he’s tied to Arthur in a thousand different ways. That’s the only reason this has a chance of working.” 

This could go so, so terribly wrong and everyone she cared about was right here. Morgana looked to Arthur, “you should go. Just in case.” 

“I’m not leaving here. I won’t run off. If I’m somehow tied to him, I won’t weaken the pull by leaving.” 

Morgana frowned but his words seemed to have rung true with her. She turned to Gwen instead and Arthur nodded, squeezing her hand for a moment.  

“Go to him, please, Gwen. Someone has to be there if this is really going to work.” 

Gwen glanced around the room and her shoulders sagged, this entire time she was trying to do what was right, be where she was needed most. She couldn’t stop now, not matter how much she wanted to be with the others. 

“Are you sure? You’ll be okay.” 

Morgana grabbed and and kissed her. Gwen tried to convince herself she wasn’t kissing her girlfriend goodbye, “I’ll see you soon.” she promised and Gwen nodded and then kissed her again. She was crying but she ignored it. There’d be time for that later. 

“I’ll go with you.” Lance said suddenly and she nodded as she grabbed her car keys. “Hopefully the roads won’t be bad.” 

“You have four wheel drive, don’t you?” Gwaine teased and Gwen could do nothing but laugh and lead Lance to her car. If she didn’t laugh then she’d cry and she wouldn’t be able to see the road with her eyes full of tears. 

They got to the car and the first thing Gwen did was instruct Lance to find the sleeve of CD’s she knew were still under the seat. There was no radio but her car still had a CD player. They could still listen to some music as they drove. 

She knew Morgana wanted her out of the way, she could see in her girlfriend’s eyes that she didn’t really believe that they’d be able to bring Merlin back from the dead. She knew this but still…

Here she was. At the lake. 

The sky had gone dark when Arthur plunged the sword into Merlin. It had gone dark and she had lost something irreversible.

It seemed a lot to put on one man.  

“How long do we give them?” Lance asked, glancing to the sky. Clouds were starting to gather and she didn’t know what to think of them. Were they magic? Natural? Some combination of the two? It reminded her of last time, when Arthur had looked a moment away from losing himself to terror, when Merlin had vanished from their lives in a hail of dirt and rain. 

Lighting flashed bright and hot and Gwen stepped in front of Lance as if to shield him. 

“Thanks.” he said, although both of them knew that if they had really been in danger, it would have only been a nice gesture. 

She laughed, breathless and lost and then Lance’s eyes went wide. 

Someone gasped for air behind her, choked, coughed, splashed. She froze--it couldn’t be--there was no way. 

Spinning around, Gwen saw the figure in the water and her mind went blank as she raced towards him. Lance was at her heels but she flung herself into the water first.

Together they dragged the sputtering figure from the water. She couldn’t think--she couldn’t stop shaking--her heart was racing. 

They dragged him onto shore and Gwen completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. She didn’t dare let herself hope. Not now, not when they had so much to lose. 

Merlin opened his eyes and Gwen threw herself onto him, unable to stop the tears and sobs. Merlin hugged her tightly and she felt like she was going to pass out. 

"Where's Arthur?"

"He-Merlin he—you were—"

"I know but…" he glanced up to Lance who threw his arms around him as well. Lance was laughing and Gwen so desperately wanted to feel the same but there was still so much at stake. 

"Merlin explain what's going on." Gwen said, her voice not much more than a whisper when they finally broke apart. “How is this happening.” 

"Arthur broke my tie to the land. It took my magic--well not all of it but, I'm no longer immortal. He made me mortal. He took my immortality and gave it to the land. But how can this be--why am I out of Avalon? Me and Enid, we couldn't--” 

“I don’t know. Let’s get you to Arthur and your sister.” 

“Oh god where are they?” 

“I don’t think it’s quite  _ that _ bad.” Lance said, raising his eyebrows at Merlin’s tone but if he meant to be reassuring he ruined it by sounding like he was trying to convince himself as well. 

“Come on let’s go.” 

“They sent you to come get me?” 

Lance nodded and Merlin looked between the two of them, suspicious, “and you just went?” 

Gwen ignored him in favor of starting the car up. 

“Gwen?” 

“What was I supposed to do? I’m useless.” 

“Gwen you were the Queen of Camelot.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“Oh Christ, I forgot, you don’t remember.” 

“I don’t remember what. What you wrote down in that journal?” 

“You were Queen of Camelot. That’s the reason we’re in this mess. Arthur as King and--”

“Merlin, please.” Gwen begged. She didn’t have time for Kings and Queens. They had Merlin which meant the others had done  _ something  _ impossible who who knew what that impossible had cost. 

 

* * *

Arthur hadn’t expected the entire barn to fucking explode. 

He really, really hadn’t expected the entire fucking barn to explode.

“Are you alright?” Freya asked and Arthur nodded as relief swept through him. She was complete unharmed and she had been right in the middle of it all with Gilli and Morgana. If she was okay that meant they were as well. 

“Yeah, what was that?” 

Freya shrugged but she held out her hand and a small glowing blue orb was floating there quite innocently, “He’s awake!” she called over her shoulder and Gwaine and Kay whooped loudly. 

“Magic is back?” 

“Magic is back.” She told him, looking as exhausted as he felt. “We used you as a conductor at the last second though, how you do you feel?” 

Arthur certainly didn’t  _ feel _ like a conductor of any sort, "Fine?” 

She nodded, “if you start to feel weird, shout okay?”

As she went to stand, Arthur caught her wrist, “Gwen and Lance?” 

Freya shook her head, “nothing yet.” 

Arthur went to lay back down in the rubble of the barn but Kay swooped in and dragged his ass to his feet. She helped him out from the smouldering planks and unceremoniously dropped him on the grass. 

“Thanks.” 

She blew him a kiss and then went digging through the rubble. 

“Is everyone okay?” 

“Everyone’s fine but all our shit is in here still.” 

Arthur laid back down and stared at the sky. How long ago had Merlin made those fireworks for Anna?

Gwen was shouting somewhere nearby and he honestly just sort of wanted to stay here for a couple of days. Let the grass grow around him, he was tired. 

He shut his eyes and tried to will some of the stress away from him, tried to convince himself that, somehow, they were okay. 

His eyes snapped open and he spun in the sound of Gwen’s voice. She had gone after Merlin--he hadn’t even entertained the hope but--

Magic was back, it flowed freely from Gilli’s fingers and Freya used hers to heal the shredded skin on Morgana’s fingers. Arthur climbed to his feet and took a step forward, he couldn’t see them--but that had been Gwen’s voice. 

Finally he spotted them. 

Arthur had dropped to his knees before he even registered what he was seeing. Three figures were running down the street towards them. 

Three.

And--the one leading the way--

Merlin. 

“Are you alright?” Merlin gasped, nearly knocking him over as he came to a stop in front of him and if Arthur hadn’t already been on the ground, he would had fallen again. He never thought he’d hear his voice outside a glowing bowl of watery herbs and waterlogged cell phones again. 

He pulled Merlin into his arms, quite content to stay this way forever. 

“Arthur?” Merlin repeated, hugging him firmly but gently, as if he was unsure if he were injured or not. Arthur shook his head and buried his face in the crook of Merlin’s neck. 

He was real. This was happening. Merlin was alive. 

Merlin laughed and shook him a little, gently, “you did it. You all saved Albion.”

“I wasn’t trying to save Albion. I wanted to give you some peace.” 

“Thank god saving me and saving Albion were one and the same.” 

“Thank god the others somehow brought magic back.” 

“They were only able to do so because you tied my magic to the land. It was here the whole time, it just needed to be coaxed out.” 

“Honestly, I don’t give a fuck.” 

“Spoken like a King.” he said lightly and then kissed him quickly before linking their fingers together and pulling him up and off towards the others.    
  
They had walked no more than ten feet when Arthur was shoved out of the way so hard he tripped sideways and fell into the grass. “Merlin!” Arthur looked up to Merlin hugging his sister tightly. He huffed and pushed himself back up onto his feet. 

“Arthur--” Anna ran up to him, throwing her arms around him tight. 

“Where did you come from?” Arthur asked, looking around, completely bewildered by this onslaught of younger sisters. 

“We’ve been trying to get back for hours. Morgana put up a spell to trap us in Will’s parent’s place. I’ve already given her a piece of my mind.” 

Arthur had no doubt she had and he wasn’t going to tell her it had been his idea. 

“You don’t know how happy I am to see the both of you up and about.” Morgana said, appearing suddenly like she had been there all along. 

“How did you do it?” Merlin asked. 

Morgana laughed, “I think Gilli’s writing it down. I couldn’t remember everything if I tried. It was a lot of trial and error and way too much winging it. How was Avalon?” 

“Almost familiar.” 

Morgana narrowed her eyes, “I don’t like that answer one bit, actually. I’m taking you to the A&E personally.” 

“For a corpse I’m doing fine.” 

“But you’re not a corpse anymore are you? Anna, Ganieda can you take Merlin to the car. I can bandage Arthur up myself here and we’ll meet you there.

“I am  _ not _ going to the A&E,” Merlin said but let the two girls drag him over to the others who were all shouting at the sight of him now.  

Arthur tried to shoot the others a pleading glance but they all abandoned him to his sister and the small bag of alcohol wipes and bandages. 

Morgana forced him to sit down and dabbed at the cut on his forehead, “You deserve this for making us believe you had really killed him.”

“I...didn’t know. I know only I could do it. I knew it was his magic poisoning the world. I knew he was tired, that he of all people should be allowed peace and rest.” 

“Holy shit, Arthur.” Morgana whispered, eyes wide, hands frozen near his temple. 

“I had to.” 

“You had to.” Morgana agreed, just as quietly. She smiled, “And there he is. We won because of you. You saved the world.” 

“I saved Merlin. You all saved the world after I fucked it up.” 

She smiled sadly and gently hit his shoulder, “What a goddamn nerd.” 

“Gwen’s around here somewhere.” 

Arthur could see flashing lights in the distance coming close. “Oh look, the medic’s coming to us.” 

“Bless whoever called them.” 

“You’re welcome.” Gwen said and then she threw her arms around her. Morgana kissed her and Arthur turned to Merlin who was watching them with a smile. 

After a moment Merlin turned away and looked to Arthur, “do you remember anything? About Camelot?”

“I don't remember anything but vague notions of resignation and dread. The memories aren't there but the feelings are.” 

Merlin shrugged, “I don’t remember things the way I used to. It’s blurry and fuzzy, like I marathoned a show while I was slightly buzzed and I remember how I felt and some of the plot points but not much else. It doesn’t feel like I’ve lived it.” 

“Maybe that’s a good thing.” 

“Maybe it is.” Gwen agreed silently, finally pulling away from Morgana. 

“I didn’t think it was going to happen so quickly, to be honest.” Morgana admitted and Gwen gave her a warning look. Morgana actually looked a little abashed. 

“It was a bit like falling down a hill. Once we started, we had to keep going or it was all going to blow up in our faces.” 

“Which it obviously did anyway.” 

“Is it over?” 

“I...think so?” Merlin said, shrugging and then he squinted into the distance. “Oh  _ shit _ , that’s mum’s car behind the ambulance.” 

For a moment he looked like he wanted to make an escape but then he just laced his fingers through Arthur’s. “Okay so, I have a bottle of Scotch under my bed. Arthur you grab it and then come save me from Mum, Alice and Gaius.” 

“If you think I can leave you now that I’ve got you back...” 

“We’ll go steal Merlin’s secret Scotch, you go meet his parents.” Gwen laughed.  


Merlin laughed but Arthur was honestly just looking forward to meeting them finally, “come on, together then. 

“Always.” 

“Oh my god  _ listen to them Gwen _ .” Morgana whispered loudly and Arthur flipped her off as he and Merlin walked towards the approaching cars and the others. 

**Author's Note:**

> Be sure to check out theonekierce's [art post](theonekierce.tumblr.com/tagged/merlin)!


End file.
